Diverse Relationship Between Europe and the World - Research Paper Example

[Teacher’s Europe and the World Introduction The world history is one that is interconnected among the different continents and has helped to shape the community we live in today. Europe has always been active in its integration with other parts of the world. This can be evidenced by the number of European colonies that are present, the involvement of Europe in global conflicts such as the first and Second World War as well as the influence Europe has in world affairs. However, the power and authority that Europe possesses has not always been accepted by individuals in the respective countries under Europe, hence almost all the colonies have declared independence and there were many revolts that were carried out opposing European rule. The paper will illustrate the diverse relationship that exists between Europe and the world and the different historical events that have that occurred in different parts of the world involving Europe. Europe and Asia The French are one of the most influential European members having colonized numerous parts in northern, central and eastern Africa. The colonial rule of the French has often been compared with American imperialism. The Americas were once owned by the Europeans themselves before decolonizing, with the United States doing this between 1776 and 1783. Haiti, South and Central America shortly followed the United States and gained their independence from European rule. The loss of control in these parts of the world led the Europeans to focus their sites on Asia and Africa as they were still looking to expand their empire. On the European conquest for Asia, Vietnam was occupied by the French in the year 1858, with an attack on D Nang and the French established full control over the country by the year 1897. The Europeans always looked for places that were of substantial basis and economic value and in the case of Vietnam; rubber was the main economic generator for the country. However, other Asian countries also deemed themselves powerful and the Japanese were able to invade Vietnam and before withdrawing from the country after the Hiroshima catastrophe. However, despite previous Japanese invasion, the French were unwilling to recognize Vietnam as an independent state and this led to a war in which the French army was defeated in 1954. External influence did not end after this war as the American also played a role in the governing of the country to the extent that there was a split between the anti communist and communist parts of the country. Europe and her allies The involvement of the United States in and the formation of a partnership with the French was to establish a bond with the French and gain their assistance in reducing the influence of the U.S.S.R in spreading communism. Hence, this shows the establishment of the relationship between the Europeans and the United States of America as one of mutual benefit as one party looks to help the other in return for assistance in other activities. The U.S.S.R was expanding and many countries were adopting the communist ideology especially in Asia. In addition, the U.S.S.R was a big federation and there was fear of their expansion and attaining full control of Europe. Hence, the Americans were willing to work with their French allies in restricting this from happening. Hence, in this sense Europe played an active role in the conflict between the capitalist and communist parts of the world. The above mentioned conflict is one of the major reasons for the cold war, which was a rivalry between super powers and resulting in the splitting of the U.S.S.R. Europe has an active role in this war as it joined forces with the United States to form NATO. In particular, the European countries that became members of this organization include France, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Portugal. The main principles that governed this association and the majority of European countries were individual freedom, capitalism, democratic government and liberty. The union of the European countries and other super powers was influential in the establishment of European authority in the world after the colonial period. Eventually, the European allies were able to loosen the grip that the Soviet Union had on the Eastern part of Europe and this enabled the eventual collapse of the Union. As a result of this the Soviet Union divided into fourteen independent states. Hence, Europe has been able to create a unified front in addressing different activities in the world and the NATO organization has enforced this authority. Europe and her colonies Before Europe joined forces and began to form unions, there was a scramble for colonies and many African countries and the Americas were under European rule. As mentioned above, the Americas were the first to decolonize which led the Europeans to focus their interests on Africa and Asia. However, the control of Europe over the African countries began to decrease over the years and many countries began to gain independence from their colonial masters. Among the European countries, Britain and France had the most African colonies with the Dutch, Spanish, Belgians and Italians also having some African interests. The ending of European control in the colonies was not accepted by many individuals as there were many stakeholders who invested in the colonial system. In addition, colonization also created possibility for relations between the colonized countries and the European countries. Many individuals in these countries had the opportunity to pursue their studies in Europe and there were also business and employment opportunities for these individuals in the European countries. To this date the era of colonialism has resulted in the European countries possessing interests in their former colonies as many of their citizens have indigenized in these countries and have also maintained some business relations. Conclusion In conclusion, Europe has a wide range of influence in the world. There are many unions that have been formed between European countries and other super powers, which further increase the European influence. In addition, Europe was historically involved in colonialism; hence it possesses many interests in both African and Asian countries. Read More