The Story of Europe

European Supremacy

Five Hundred Years - Finished at Last!

Prologue:   Germination, ×1 Generation [40 years]
 From:  1452-Pope Nicholas V issues the bull Dum Diversas, legitimising the colonial slave trade.
 To:       1492-Fall of Granada.

Chapter One:   Growth, ×4 G. [160 years]
 From:  1492-Discovery of America.
 To:       1652-End of Spanish hegemony.

Chapter Two:   Glory, ×4 G.
 From:  1652-First Anglo-Dutch War.
 To:       1812-End of Napoleon’s power.

Chapter Three:   Decline, ×4 G.
 From:  1812-British-American War.
 To:       1972-America leaves Vietnam.

Epilogue:   Degradation, ×1 G.
 From:  1972-Bankruptcy of the American national economy.
 To:       2012-Famine, epidemic and war.

[The word 'supremacy' here donates actual material supremacy and not inherent superiority.]

The above summary is the result of twenty years of avidly reading history books, most of which belong to history themselves, since I treat history books like fine wine: the older the better.

Careful analysis has led me to conclude that the decline started in 1812, before the opium war, before the occupation of North Africa, before the liquidation of the Mogul Empire, before throwing the Ottomans out of the Balkans and before the complete colonisation of the world by The European Powers.

Most importantly the decline started a hundred years before the Great War that is considered by many as “the start” of the decline, so how did I reach such a counter intuitive conclusion? First let us consider the Great War, such an event is surely not the start of the decline because such an event is the result of decline, thus decline must have started earlier.

Second all the achievements mentioned above do not negate the decline because the decline starts at the heart and spreads outward, the decline starts in the culture then spreads to other areas that might peak after the start of the decline. Imperial military power almost always peaks after the decline starts and thus gives a good indication when the decline must have been in effect.

Most importantly all the above achievements were the last act in a series of acts started in the eras of Growth and Glory; for example, the liquidation of the Mogul Empire in 1857 would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the victories of the British in the 1750’s.

Thirdly, which is most important, in 1812 the rise of America starts. The relationship of America to Europe is akin to that between the tumour and a body, from 1812 to 1914 the tumour was growing but contained, after that date it started to metastasise. Since 1972 the tumour has been pumping poison into all parts of the body.

The prospect of an American president who is African on the father’s side is very telling, after so many leaders-presidents, kings, politicians, etc.-of third world countries who are European on the mother’s side, now we get the complete opposite. Always in history the end is preceded by a series of inversions of long-term trends; I could list hundreds of them, in all areas of life, if I was inclined, but instead I will just state their significance: The End is Nigh!