Page 29 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1330 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Expansion and Contraction of European Empires
15th Century Portuguese knights capture Cueta in North Africa from the Muslims.
Columbus “discovers” the Americas for Spain and colonies are established in the
Americas.
Portugal claims Brazil under the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Vasco da Gama of Portugal discovers an all-sea route to India.
16th Century Portugal dominates the maritime trade in South and Southeast Asia.
The Pacific Ocean is “discovered” by Vasco Nuñez de Balboa of Spain.
Spain claims the Philippines.
The Habsburg ruling house of Europe comes to power.
France establishes a presence in West Africa.
Portugal’s dominance in East Africa and Asia begins to decline.

17th Century The English, Dutch, and French charter trading companies.
The English settle Jamestown in Virginia.
France establishes colonies in North America and the Caribbean.
Russia colonizes Siberia.
18th Century France loses American colonies and territory to England and Spain.
The English lose control of their American colony.
The Dutch Republic becomes a colonial power with the abolishment of its private
trading companies.
The Dutch begin to lose most of their colonies to the British.
The Spanish empire declines.
By the time of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, England has become the dominant
European colonial power.

19th Century France under Napoleon regains territory in the Americas.
Haiti gains freedom from France through a slave revolt.
Brazil declares independence from Portugal.
Slavery is abolished by all imperial powers.
The Habsburg empire is transformed into the Austro-Hungarian empire.
The German empire is established after the Prussian defeat of France.
Russia colonizes Poland and Finland, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
England, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, and Italy solidify their colonies
in Africa.
20th Century European control of its African colonies intensifies.
World War I starts when the Austro-Hungarian government declares war on Serbia.
The end of World War I marks the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the
German empire.
Britain and France gain trust territories in Asia.
The British Commonwealth of Nations is created.
During World War II Japan takes Asian colonies from Britain, France, and the
Netherlands.
Following the end of World War II, the British, French, Dutch, and Portuguese
empires shrink as many former colonies become independent nations.
The Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP) unites eight Portuguese-
speaking nations.
The Russian-Soviet empire disintegrates.