Student Paper SP002-01
Spring 2000, Section I
Reviewer Comments

European Conflict

The social structure of Europe began to change at the beginning of the l7th century. Scientific thought began to become more prominent and common among the growing population. Scientists proposed new theories that conflicted with traditional religious beliefs. One of the first major conflicts arose with Galileo's theory of the universe. He was forced by high-ranking church officials to "abandon the false opinion that the Sun is the center of the world and immovable and that the Earth is not the center of the world and moves,"¹ even though his assumptions were obviously correct. The leaders at the time feared the development of these new ideas and continued to fight against them, feeding the cycle of conflict. As the traditional authorities struggled with enlightened thought, the population continued to grow, resulting in even more human progress. Thomas Malthus wrote "that the best arguments for the perfectibility of man, are drawn from a contemplation of the great progress that he has already made from the savage state, and the difficulty of saying where he is to stop,"² hinting that man would continue to grow with time. This progress worried the controlling officials that preferred the security of the past. Much of the conflict originated in the differing moral values of society. France adopted a system that was "to repress private or secret, and to encourage public or avowed prostitution"³ in an attempt to bridge the gap between the widening moral standards of society. These types of innovative solutions resulted in an increasing level of conflict in modern European history.

The social conflict slowly began to infiltrate the political realm. The political differences in Europe were in many ways linked to the undesired influence of religion towards politics. John Locke wrote, "I esteem it above all things necessary to distinguish exactly the business of civil government from that of religion and to settle the just bounds that lie between the one and the other. If this be not done, there can be no end put to the controversies that will be always arising between those that have, or at least pretend to have, on the one side, a concernment for the interest of men's souls, and, on the other side, a care of the commonwealth."⁴ This separation, that would eventually be fulfilled, did little to alleviate the conflict and, in many ways, even encouraged it. The ties that bound religion to politics were extremely strong, and the influence they possessed weakened the authority of the government. The conservative, and in some ways corrupt, views of the religious leaders conflicted harshly with the liberal desires of the working class. The working class in France rallied to forge the "Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789." This document declared that the current government in France was the cause of "public calamities" due to their "ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man."~ This desire for a shift of power disturbed the wealthy authorities and marked one of the biggest conflicts in modem European history. Communism presented itself, as the ultimate solution to the working-class's woes with government. "The immediate aim of the Communists is the same as that of all other proletarian parties: Formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy, conquest of political power by the proletariat."⁶ Communism resulted in more conflict, evident through the constant struggle of the people to regain their freedom The political world in modern European history was in constant upheaval, and each new idea or solution generally agitated the shaky foundation.

The combination of social unrest and political instability contributed to several military conflicts. Revolution in both England and France overturned the traditional monarchies and empowered the people. Communism imprisoned Eastern Europe with a dominant military force. The Nazi Party took advantage of the poor economic condition of the people, initiating a massive conflict of nations. World War II was the climax to the military conflict in modern European history.⁷ All of these wars and battles resulted from new ideas and policies. Although the moral direction of the Nazi Paity is highly questionable, their plan and policy was unique and original. The Communist intended to solve economic woes with innovative ideas and solutions, but in most accounts, succeeded only in imprisoning their citizens. England and France achieved long sought freedom but only through the initiation of new political policy and social standards.

The argument that conflict in modern European history resulted in large because of new solutions and policy remains hardly disputable. The traditional powers resisted the constant change, staging a battle that would shake Europe for centuries. The working-class seemed to be the catalyst for the enlightened thought and rallied behind the promising agendas. As the wealth and power spread to more people, the conflict between the wealthy and poor intensified. Religious leaders continued to lose power and support as there beliefs and standards came into question. Military forces attempted to overturn the existing powers. Modern European history will forever be scarred by the constant conflict it regrettably boasts.

³Population in France

⁴John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration

⁵Declnration of the Rights of Man, 1789

⁶Manifesto of the Communist Party, Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, Proletarians and Communists

⁷Donald Kagan, The Western Heritage 6 ed. Vol.11.