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Inventors and Scientists: Johannes Gutenberg

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Inventors and Scientists: Johannes Gutenberg

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Inventions That Changed the World: The Printing Press

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Inventions That Changed the World: The Printing Press

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World religion changed when a rebel preacher married a former nun

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World religion changed when a rebel preacher married a former nun

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The Protestant Reformation and its role in the American colonies

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The Protestant Reformation and its role in the American colonies

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How King Henry VIII’s divorce led to the English Reformation

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How King Henry VIII’s divorce led to the English Reformation

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Why does Christianity have so many denominations?

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Why does Christianity have so many denominations?

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When England took in refugees in the 1500s, unhappy people rioted

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When England took in refugees in the 1500s, unhappy people rioted

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1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets Video

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1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets Video

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[HD FILM] ألف اختراع واختراع ومكتبة الأسرار (Arabic)

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Islamic Art & Architecture: History & Characteristics Video

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Islamic Art & Architecture: History & Characteristics Video

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How Islamic Scientists Contributed to Society as We Know it Today: The Golden Ages Video

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How Islamic Scientists Contributed to Society as We Know it Today: The Golden Ages Video

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How did Islamic Spain contribute to the development of the Renaissance?

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How did Islamic Spain contribute to the development of the Renaissance?

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One man found the secrets to making beautiful glass

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One man found the secrets to making beautiful glass

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Lives of African people during the Renaissance

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Lives of African people during the Renaissance

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Newsela | Northern European Renaissance: Part 1

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During this period, art was no longer reserved for the rich and powerful. It became available to the growing merchant class.

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Why Europe’s wars of religion put 40,000 "witches" to a terrible death

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Why Europe’s wars of religion put 40,000 "witches" to a terrible death

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The nation-state developed fairly recently. Prior to the 1500s, in Europe, the nation-state as we know it did not exist. Back then, most people did not consider themselves part of a nation; they rarely left their village and knew little of the larger world. If anything, people were more likely to identify themselves with their region or local lord. At the same time, the rulers of states frequently had little control over their countries. Instead, local feudal lords had a great deal of power, and kings often had to depend on the goodwill of their subordinates to rule. Laws and practices varied a great deal from one part of the country to another. The timeline on page 65 explains some key events that led to the rise of the nation-state.

In the early modern era, a number of monarchs began to consolidate power by weakening the feudal nobles and allying themselves with the emerging commercial classes. This difficult process sometimes required violence. The consolidation of power also took a long time. Kings and queens worked to bring all the people of their territories under unified rule. Not surprisingly, then, the birth of the nation-state also saw the first rumblings of nationalism, as monarchs encouraged their subjects to feel loyalty toward the newly established nations. The modern, integrated nation-state became clearly established in most of Europe during the nineteenth century.

Example: Russia is a great example of consolidation of power by monarchs. Throughout most of the medieval era, what became Russia was a minor principality centered on the city of Moscow. Over the course of a few hundred years, the rulers of Moscow took over more land, eventually expanding to cover much of what is now Russia. This expansion came through a mix of diplomacy and war. When Ivan IV-also known as Ivan the Terrible-came of age and assumed the throne in 1547, he was crowned the first czar. He proceeded to devastate the nobility by means of a secret police and gained the loyalty of commercial classes by giving them positions in a new state bureaucracy. These actions led to the deaths of thousands.

The Thirty Years' War and the Peace of Westphalia

The Thirty Years' War, fought throughout central Europe from 1618-1648 between Protestants and Catholics, laid the legal foundation for the nation-state. The war involved many nations of Europe, including many small German states, the Austrian Empire, Sweden, France, and Spain. Despite a brutal war, the Catholics were unable to overturn Protestantism. The treaty that ended the war, called the Peace of Westphalia, decreed that the sovereign ruler of a state had power over all elements of both the nation and the state, including religion. Thus, the modern idea of a sovereign state was born.

Centralization

Centralization, or the process by which law- and policymaking become centrally located, helped spur the development of nation-states. Final power rested with the central government, which made the laws and practices more uniform across the country. A single centralized authority, rather than many diverse local authorities, allowed nation-states to quickly develop their economies. Merchants could trade throughout the nation without worrying about local taxes and regulations. Also, the nation-state was much stronger militarily than the feudal state. Rulers were able to create national armies, which were not dependent on the nobility. The armies could receive consistent training so that all units could work well together. In many cases, the newly emerging nation-states dominated the older forms of political organization.

Example: In the eighteenth century, nobles held most of the power in Poland. The monarch was very weak. As a result, Poland could not defeat its powerful neighbors Austria, Prussia, and Russia. These three centralized nation-states partitioned Poland on three different occasions-1772, 1793, and 1795-eventually eliminating Poland until 1918, when a new Republic of Poland formed.

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Nations and States: The Rise of the Nation-State | SparkNotes

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Nations and States quizzes about important details and events in every section of the book.

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How the modern nation-states of the Middle East were created

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How the modern nation-states of the Middle East were created

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How the modern nation-states of the Middle East were created

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The Middle East has grown since the Ottoman Empire ruled over the vast region.

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The Development of Monarchical Nation States: the Rise of Power

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The Development of Monarchical Nation States: the Rise of Power

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Nation State: Definition, Examples & Characteristics

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Nation State: Definition, Examples & Characteristics

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Nationalism Grows in Europe: Timeline, Events & Impact

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Nationalism Grows in Europe: Timeline, Events & Impact

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How Government Works: State and local power

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How Government Works: State and local power

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Newsela - How Government Works: State and local power

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One national government and 50 state governments.

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What makes a nation? Being able to speak the nation's language

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What makes a nation? Being able to speak the nation's language

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Europe: physical geography of the second-smallest continent

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Europe: physical geography of the second-smallest continent

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Europe: physical geography of the second-smallest continent

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Geographically, Europe is a peninsula of the Eurasian supercontinent. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean, the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, the Ural Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

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In late February, satellites took pictures of Europe without clouds

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In late February, satellites took pictures of Europe without clouds

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Animal Atlas: Meet the animals of Europe

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Animal Atlas: Meet the animals of Europe

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Imperfect Models: How and Why Maps Distort

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Imperfect Models: How and Why Maps Distort

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Newsela | Imperfect Models: How and Why Maps Distort

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Maps are imperfect models of the world. Mapmakers choose what they want others to see, so they may rearrange or even omit certain details of the world.

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Geography Learning About The Past: Geographers study parts of our planet

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Geography Learning About The Past: Geographers study parts of our planet

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The five themes of geography help teach us about our planet Earth

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The five themes of geography help teach us about our planet Earth

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From Ptolemy to GPS, the Brief History of Maps

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From Ptolemy to GPS, the Brief History of Maps

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There’s no scientific basis for race, it's a made-up label

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There’s no scientific basis for race, it's a made-up label

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China's "new Silk Road" has a marker in Italy

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China's "new Silk Road" has a marker in Italy

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Italy makes it easier to give away extra food

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Italy makes it easier to give away extra food

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Newsela - Italy makes it easier to give away extra food

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Companies and farmers donate food to charities.

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Wanting a better life, but stuck in a migrant center in Italy

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Wanting a better life, but stuck in a migrant center in Italy

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Newsela | Nowhere to go: Stuck in a migrant center in Italy

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Olive trees in Italy are dying from a disease

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Olive trees in Italy are dying from a disease

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It was leaning too far, so the famous Tower of Pisa had to be shifted some

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It was leaning too far, so the famous Tower of Pisa had to be shifted some

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Scientists discover why Leaning Tower of Pisa still stands

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Scientists discover why Leaning Tower of Pisa still stands

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Please play: Italy's da Vinci Museum lets kids touch inventions

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Please play: Italy's da Vinci Museum lets kids touch inventions

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Pompeii's walls tell a story of everyday life in ancient times

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Pompeii's walls tell a story of everyday life in ancient times

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Should students be allowed to bring lunch? An Italian judge says no

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Should students be allowed to bring lunch? An Italian judge says no

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Newsela - Should students be allowed to bring lunch? An Italian judge says no

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Different countries do things differently. The “Panino Case” in Italy decided kids shouldn’t bring lunch to school; parents protested.

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Tommy the robot nurse helps Italian doctors care for coronavirus patients

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Tommy the robot nurse helps Italian doctors care for coronavirus patients

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Tommy the robot nurse helps Italian doctors care for coronavirus patients

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Robots like Tommy can measure blood pressure and oxygen saturation for the patients in the intensive care unit.

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Video games strain Italian internet as coronavirus keeps kids home

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Video games strain Italian internet as coronavirus keeps kids home

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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New X-rays let us peek into ancient scrolls

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New X-rays let us peek into ancient scrolls

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Bones of child from 1,500 years ago found in a "vampire burial" in Italy

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Bones of child from 1,500 years ago found in a "vampire burial" in Italy

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Making foods from long ago brings history to our dinner tables

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Making foods from long ago brings history to our dinner tables

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Space station opens its hatch to 2 women astronauts

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Space station opens its hatch to 2 women astronauts

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Under hills near Rome, a volcano is starting to wake up, scientists warn

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Under hills near Rome, a volcano is starting to wake up, scientists warn

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Construction in Rome reveals well-preserved, 2,000-year-old dog statue

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Construction in Rome reveals well-preserved, 2,000-year-old dog statue

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Chef gives away 500 sourdough starters and builds a community around bread

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Chef gives away 500 sourdough starters and builds a community around bread

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Tradition of Italian pizza twirling could join special heritage list

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Tradition of Italian pizza twirling could join special heritage list

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Pope's kind gesture rescues three families fleeing war in Syria

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Pope's kind gesture rescues three families fleeing war in Syria

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Newsela - Pope’s kind gesture rescues three families fleeing war in Syria

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Nearly 900,000 asylum seekers living in limbo in EU, figures show

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Nearly 900,000 asylum seekers living in limbo in EU, figures show

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Lost Cities: Pompeii, preserved by disaster, risks ruin all over again

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Lost Cities: Pompeii, preserved by disaster, risks ruin all over again

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Italy Cool Facts - Fun Facts About This Sunny Country! video

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Italy Cool Facts - Fun Facts About This Sunny Country! video

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa: Famous World Landmarks video

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa: Famous World Landmarks video

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa for Kids: Famous World Landmarks for Children - FreeSchool

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Newsela | Countries Of The World: Germany

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Today’s Germany is one of the leading countries in Europe.

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Germany ended signs of Nazi hate; U.S. still sees flags from slavery days

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Germany ended signs of Nazi hate; U.S. still sees flags from slavery days

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Germany’s Angela Merkel prepares to step down with a legacy of tackling crises

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Germany’s Angela Merkel prepares to step down with a legacy of tackling crises

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Should Greece get help with its debt like Germany got 60 years ago?

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Should Greece get help with its debt like Germany got 60 years ago?

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German schools make changes to educate children escaping Syrian war

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German schools make changes to educate children escaping Syrian war

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Young Syrian refugee completes 3,500-mile journey — in a wheelchair

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Young Syrian refugee completes 3,500-mile journey — in a wheelchair

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Missing masterpieces, once thought destroyed, found in Germany

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Missing masterpieces, once thought destroyed, found in Germany

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Germany in "panda-monium" as two special guests arrive from China

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Germany in "panda-monium" as two special guests arrive from China

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Boy digs up treasure that supports stories of ancient Danish king

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Boy digs up treasure that supports stories of ancient Danish king

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Former Nazi guard to be jailed 5 years for his role in Holocaust

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Former Nazi guard to be jailed 5 years for his role in Holocaust

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Exhibition looks at Germans' long personal practice of saving money

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Exhibition looks at Germans' long personal practice of saving money

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Sending hope to a Syrian boy refugee from a man who knows the pain

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Sending hope to a Syrian boy refugee from a man who knows the pain

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Newsela | Former WWII refugee sends hope in a box to young Syrian boy

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Gunter Nitsch feels the pain of refugee children a world away.

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In Germany, family that fled Syria gets a true taste of Christmas cheer

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In Germany, family that fled Syria gets a true taste of Christmas cheer

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Germany Facts - National Geographic Kids

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Facts about Germany: Learn about the cool country of Germany, with fun facts about Germany’s Black Forest, population, geography, government and history!

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ITALY FACTS: CHECK OUT THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!

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ITALY FACTS: CHECK OUT THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!

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When you think of Italy, what springs to mind? The Leaning Tower of Pisa? Yummy pizza and pasta, perhaps? Well, there's a lot more to this incredible country, gang - see for yourselves with our fascinating facts about Italy ...

Official Name: Italian Republic
Form of Government: Republic
Capital: Rome
Population: 60, 606, 230
Official Language: Italian
Money: Euro
Area: 301,277 square kilometres
Major Mountain Ranges: Alps, Apennines
Major Rivers: Po, Adige, Arno, Tiber

Italy is a boot-shaped peninsula that juts out of southern Europe into the Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea and other waters. Its location has played an important role throughout its history.

The sea surrounds Italy, and mountains crisscross the interior, dividing the land into regions. The Alps cut across the top of the country and are streaked with long, thin glacial lakes. From the western end of the Alps, the Apennines mountains stretch south down the entire peninsula.

West of the Apennines are wooded hills that are home to many of Italy's historic cities, including Rome. In the south are hot, dry coastlands and fertile plains where olives, almonds, figs and other crops are grown.

For 22 centuries, Italians and their ancestors have hunted wild animals, cleared fields and grazed livestock. As a result, forests that once covered large areas of the country are gone. But the country's remote places still have wilderness largely untouched by humans. The lower slopes of Italy's Alps remain covered with thick forests, and above these woodlands are meadows where specially adapted wildflowers bloom.

Amongst the amazing mammals found in Italy are the Eurasian lynx, Italian wolf, Roe deer and Etruscan shrew - the smallest land mammal in the world! Sadly, however, human activity and habitat loss has put much of Italy's awesome animals under threat. To help protect them, National Parks have been set up, such as Abruzzo National Park - the only place in the world where the critically endangered Marsican brown bear can be found.

Throughout Italy, millions of beautiful birds stop to rest during their annual migration to Africa.

Italy's location on the Mediterranean linked it with the trade routes of the ancient civilisations that developed in the region. With the city of Rome's rise to power, the Italian peninsula became the centre of a huge empire that lasted for centuries.

Italy's first societies emerged around 1200 BC. Around 800 BC, Greeks settled in the south and a civilisation called the Etruscans arose in central Italy.

By the sixth century BC, the Etruscans had created a group of states called Etruria. Meanwhile, Latin and Sabine people south of Etruria merged to form a strong city-state called Rome.

Etruscan kings ruled Rome for nearly a hundred years. But the Romans kicked out the Etruscans in 510 BC and went on to conquer the whole peninsula. They then set out to build a vast empire which, at its greatest extent in AD 117, stretched from Portugal to Syria to Britain to North Africa. Pretty huge, eh?

The first sole emperor of Rome, Octavian, took power in 27 BC and took the name Augustus Caesar. The empire flourished for more than 400 years, but by the fourth century AD it was in decline. In 395, the empire was split in two, and in 476, Germanic tribes from the north toppled the last emperor.

In the 12th century, Italian city-states began to rise again and grow rich on trade. But Italy remained a patchwork of territories, some of which were controlled by foreign powers. Beginning in 1859, an uprising forced the foreigners out, and in 1861 the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed.

In 1914, Italy took the side of the United Kingdom and the United States in World War I, but was left in poverty at war's end. Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party rose to power soon after, promising to restore Italy to its former glory. He ruled as a dictator and entered World War II on the side of Germany and Japan. In the final days of the war in 1945, Mussolini was captured and executed.

Throughout history, Italian art, architecture and culture have had an influence around the world. Famed Italian painters include Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Italy is also at the heart of the Catholic Church, which is governed from the Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome.

The family is at the centre of Italian society. Young people often live at home until they are in their 30s, even if they have a job. When parents retire, they often go to live with their children.

Italians are also known for their love of food! Many Italian dishes have become popular worldwide, such as their famous pizza Margherita, spaghetti Bolognese and super-tasty tiramisu!

In Italy, politics can often be exciting and noisy. Crowds gather in the streets to protest government policies or to show support for their party.

Since World War II, Italy has enjoyed an economic transformation. Industry grew, and by the mid-1960s, Italy had become one of the world's leading economies. Today, the country's main exports include machinery, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, plastics and clothing. Tourism is also an important part of Italy's economy, with millions of people visiting every year to enjoy the country's famous cities, historical buildings and beautiful beaches!

Map of Italy: National Geographic Maps. Ancient ruins, Italy: Horst Gossmann, Dreamstime. Florence Cathedral: Dmitry Rozhdestvenskiy, Dreamstime. Fresh pasta: Stevanzz, Dreamstime. St. Peter's Square, Vatican City: Viorel Dudau, Dreamstime.

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Italy facts: check out this beautiful country! - National Geographic Kids

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Facts about Italy for kids: learn all about Italy, with facts about Italian culture, politics, economy wildlife and geography, including a map of Italy