Week 2 Lecture: European Colonial Expansion and Global Events

The Decline of the Ming Dynasty in China

• Ming Dynasty's Decline: Ruled since 1368, faced internal dissent, rebellion, and economic issues.
• Reform Failures: Initially successful reforms were derailed by:
  • Financial laws in trading partners.
  • Economic failures, epidemic, and agricultural issues.
  • Little Ice Age and catastrophic floods.
• Collapse and Transition:
  • Ming Dynasty collapsed, replaced by the Qing Dynasty in 1644.
  • Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty, ruled until 1912.

The Expansion of the Russian Empire

• Grand Duchy of Moscow:
  • Expanded under Ivan III.
  • Conquered Novgorod, Lithuania, and reunited parts of Kievan Rus.
• Emergence of Russian Empire:
  • Under Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), expanded to be one of the world's largest empires.

The Rise of the Mughal Empire

• Formation and Growth:
  • Mixed influences: Indian culture, Hinduism, Islam, and Mongol remnants.
  • Ruled over a majority non-Muslim population.
• Leadership and Accomplishments:
  • Akbar's leadership: Instituted a civil government and tax structure, promoting growth.
  • Shah Jahan's Era: Peak of the empire, built the Taj Mahal.

European Religious Reform and Conflict

• Church Corruption and Reformation:
  • Martin Luther's 95 Theses against Church corruption.
  • Challenges to Church doctrine and authority.
  • Formation of Lutheranism and Protestantism.
• English Reformation:
  • Henry VIII created the Church of England.
  • England's shift between Catholicism and Protestantism under Mary I and Elizabeth I.

The Thirty Years' War

• Conflicts and Innovations:
  • Religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
  • Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden’s military innovations.
• Impact:
  • Over 8 million casualties.
  • Changes in military tactics and European politics.
  • Ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

Warfare and Imperial Rivalries

• Limited War Concept:
  • Post-1648, led to continuous but restrained warfare.
• War of the Spanish Succession:
  • Part of a series of global conflicts known as world wars.

The Seven Years' War

• Global Impact:
  • Began with the French and Indian War in North America.
  • British strategy of allying with Prussia.
  • Significant territorial losses for France.
• Outcomes and Consequences:
  • Triggered the American and French Revolutions.
  • Major shifts in colonial power dynamics.