Shaping Eastern EuropeShaping Eastern Europe

Focus Question Focus Question How did geography and ethnic How did geography and ethnic

diversity contribute to the turmoil diversity contribute to the turmoil of Eastern European history?of Eastern European history?

Geography Shapes Eastern Europe Geography Shapes Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe has been both Eastern Europe has been both a buffer and a crossroads. It is a buffer and a crossroads. It is a wide swath of territory lying a wide swath of territory lying between German-speaking between German-speaking Central Europe to the west and Central Europe to the west and the largest Slavic nation, the largest Slavic nation, Russia, to the east. It reaches Russia, to the east. It reaches from the chilly waters of the from the chilly waters of the Baltic Sea, down across the Baltic Sea, down across the plains of Poland and Hungary, plains of Poland and Hungary, and then through the and then through the mountainous mountainous Balkan Balkan PeninsulaPeninsula. This roughly . This roughly triangular arm of land, often triangular arm of land, often called simply the Balkans, juts called simply the Balkans, juts southward into the warm southward into the warm Mediterranean.Mediterranean.

Much of the region lies on Much of the region lies on the great European Plain the great European Plain that links up with the that links up with the steppes of southern steppes of southern Russia. Its main rivers, Russia. Its main rivers, such as the Danube and such as the Danube and the Vistula (the Vistula (vishvish chuh chuh luh), flow either south into luh), flow either south into the Black Sea or north the Black Sea or north into the Baltic Sea. into the Baltic Sea. Goods and cultural Goods and cultural influences traveled along influences traveled along these river routes. these river routes.

As a result, the Balkans As a result, the Balkans in the south felt the in the south felt the impact of the Byzantine impact of the Byzantine empire and, later, the empire and, later, the Muslim Ottoman empire. Muslim Ottoman empire. In contrast, northern In contrast, northern regions bordering regions bordering Germany and the Baltic Germany and the Baltic Sea forged closer links to Sea forged closer links to Western Europe. The Western Europe. The eastern part of the region eastern part of the region felt the strong influence of felt the strong influence of Russia.Russia.

How did its rivers How did its rivers affect Eastern affect Eastern Europe?Europe?

Migrations Contribute to Diversity Migrations Contribute to Diversity

Eastern Europe’s Eastern Europe’s geography has geography has contributed to its cultural contributed to its cultural diversity. The ease of diversity. The ease of migration through the migration through the region encouraged many region encouraged many different peoples to seek different peoples to seek new homes there. Some new homes there. Some neighboring groups neighboring groups sought to influence or sought to influence or dominatedominate the region. As the region. As a result, Eastern Europe a result, Eastern Europe now includes a wealth of now includes a wealth of languages and cultures.languages and cultures.

Ethnic Groups Settle in Eastern Ethnic Groups Settle in Eastern Europe and the Balkans Europe and the Balkans

In the early Middle Ages, In the early Middle Ages, the Slavs spread out from the Slavs spread out from a central heartland in a central heartland in Russia. The West Slavs Russia. The West Slavs filtered into present-day filtered into present-day Poland and the Czech Poland and the Czech and Slovak republics. The and Slovak republics. The South Slavs occupied the South Slavs occupied the Balkans and became the Balkans and became the ancestors of the Serbs, ancestors of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Croats, and Slovenes.

The Balkans were The Balkans were peopled by various other peopled by various other ethnic groups as well. (An ethnic groups as well. (An ethnic groupethnic group is a large is a large group of people who group of people who share the same language share the same language and cultural heritage.) and cultural heritage.) Waves of Asian peoples Waves of Asian peoples migrated into Eastern migrated into Eastern Europe, among them the Europe, among them the Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Khazars, and Magyars. Khazars, and Magyars. Vikings and other Vikings and other Germanic peoples added Germanic peoples added to the mix.to the mix.

Christians and Muslims Influence Christians and Muslims Influence the Region the Region

Powerful neighboring Powerful neighboring states exercised strong states exercised strong cultural and religious cultural and religious influences on Eastern influences on Eastern Europe. Byzantine Europe. Byzantine missionaries spread missionaries spread Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Christianity and Byzantine culture Byzantine culture throughout the Balkans..throughout the Balkans..

German knights and German knights and missionaries from the missionaries from the West brought Roman West brought Roman Catholic Christianity Catholic Christianity to Poland, Hungary, to Poland, Hungary, the Czech area, and the Czech area, and the western Balkans. the western Balkans.

In the 1300s, the In the 1300s, the Ottomans invaded the Ottomans invaded the Balkans, bringing Balkans, bringing Islam into pockets of Islam into pockets of that regionthat region

Jewish Settlers Migrate to Poland Jewish Settlers Migrate to Poland

In the early Middle Ages, In the early Middle Ages, there were thriving there were thriving Jewish communities in Jewish communities in Muslim Spain. Jews had Muslim Spain. Jews had also migrated to Western also migrated to Western Europe. Although Europe. Although educated Jews educated Jews sometimes held important sometimes held important government and scholarly government and scholarly posts, Christians often posts, Christians often blamed Jews for hard blamed Jews for hard times and natural times and natural disasters. disasters.

Western European Christians Western European Christians launched brutal attacks on launched brutal attacks on Jewish communities, Jewish communities, particularly during the particularly during the Crusades and the Black Crusades and the Black Death. Monarchs in England, Death. Monarchs in England, France, and Spain even France, and Spain even expelled Jews from their lands. expelled Jews from their lands. Faced with persecution or Faced with persecution or expulsion, many Jews fled expulsion, many Jews fled east in the late Middle Ages. east in the late Middle Ages. Eastern Europe became a Eastern Europe became a refuge for many Jewish refuge for many Jewish settlers.settlers.

In 1264, Prince Boleslaw of In 1264, Prince Boleslaw of Cracow issued a charter Cracow issued a charter protecting the liberties of Jews, protecting the liberties of Jews, and Polish kings continued a and Polish kings continued a policy of toleration toward policy of toleration toward Jews for the next 500 years. Jews for the next 500 years. As a result, Jewish villages As a result, Jewish villages sprang up in Poland and other sprang up in Poland and other sparsely populated areas of sparsely populated areas of Eastern Europe. Jewish Eastern Europe. Jewish merchants and scholars merchants and scholars contributed to the economic contributed to the economic and cultural development of and cultural development of Poland during this period.Poland during this period.

How did three major religions How did three major religions come to Eastern Europe?come to Eastern Europe?

Three Early Kingdoms Develop Three Early Kingdoms Develop

During the Middle Ages, During the Middle Ages, Eastern Europe included Eastern Europe included many kingdoms and many kingdoms and small states. Sometimes small states. Sometimes empires absorbed empires absorbed national groups. Alliances national groups. Alliances or royal marriages might or royal marriages might bind others together. A bind others together. A look at the kingdoms of look at the kingdoms of Poland, Hungary, and Poland, Hungary, and Serbia will demonstrate Serbia will demonstrate these shifting fortunes. these shifting fortunes.

Poland Enjoys Greatness Poland Enjoys Greatness

Missionaries brought Missionaries brought Roman Catholicism to Roman Catholicism to the West Slavs of the West Slavs of Poland in the 900s. Poland in the 900s. Within a century, the Within a century, the first Polish king was first Polish king was crowned. To survive, crowned. To survive, Poland often had to Poland often had to battle Germans, battle Germans, Russians, and Russians, and Mongols.Mongols.

The marriage of Queen Jadwiga The marriage of Queen Jadwiga (yahd (yahd veevee gah) to Duke gah) to Duke Wladyslaw Jagiello (vwah Wladyslaw Jagiello (vwah disdis wahf yahg wahf yahg yehyeh loh) of Lithuania in loh) of Lithuania in 1386 ushered in Poland’s greatest 1386 ushered in Poland’s greatest age. Poland-Lithuania was the age. Poland-Lithuania was the largest state in Europe, stretching largest state in Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Unlike in Russia or most of Unlike in Russia or most of Western Europe, however, Western Europe, however, political power in Poland gradually political power in Poland gradually shifted from the monarch to the shifted from the monarch to the nobles. They met in a nobles. They met in a dietdiet, or , or assembly, where the vote of a assembly, where the vote of a single noble could block the single noble could block the passage of a law. This passage of a law. This liberum liberum veto,veto, or “free veto,” made it hard or “free veto,” made it hard for the government to take for the government to take decisive action.decisive action.

Without a strong central Without a strong central government, Poland-government, Poland-Lithuania declined. It Lithuania declined. It enjoyed a final moment of enjoyed a final moment of glory in 1683 when the glory in 1683 when the Polish king Jan Sobieski Polish king Jan Sobieski (yahn soh (yahn soh byehbyeh skee) skee) broke the Ottoman siege broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna. In the next of Vienna. In the next century, however, Poland century, however, Poland and Lithuania were and Lithuania were gobbled up by ambitious gobbled up by ambitious neighbors and neighbors and disappeared from the disappeared from the mapmap

The Magyars Rule HungaryThe Magyars Rule Hungary

The Magyars, who had raided The Magyars, who had raided Europe from the Asian Europe from the Asian steppes, eventually settled in steppes, eventually settled in Hungary. Like the West Slavs Hungary. Like the West Slavs of Poland, they adopted of Poland, they adopted Roman Catholicism. During Roman Catholicism. During the Middle Ages, Magyar the Middle Ages, Magyar rulers also controlled present-rulers also controlled present-day Slovakia, Croatia, and day Slovakia, Croatia, and parts of Romania. Like King parts of Romania. Like King John of England, the John of England, the Hungarian king was forced to Hungarian king was forced to sign a charter recognizing sign a charter recognizing nobles’ rights. Known as the nobles’ rights. Known as the Golden Bull of 1222Golden Bull of 1222, it strictly , it strictly limited royal power.limited royal power.

The Mongols overran The Mongols overran Hungary in 1241, killing Hungary in 1241, killing as much as half its as much as half its population. These population. These invaders soon withdrew, invaders soon withdrew, so the Mongol invasion so the Mongol invasion did not have the lasting did not have the lasting impact on Hungary that it impact on Hungary that it had on Russia. The had on Russia. The expansion of the Ottoman expansion of the Ottoman Turks, though, ended Turks, though, ended Hungarian independence Hungarian independence in 1526.in 1526.

The Serbs Establish a Balkan The Serbs Establish a Balkan KingdomKingdom

Some of the South Slavs who Some of the South Slavs who settled the Balkans became settled the Balkans became the ancestors of the Serbs. the ancestors of the Serbs. Early Serb leaders recognized Early Serb leaders recognized Byzantine authority, and by the Byzantine authority, and by the late 800s, most Serbs had late 800s, most Serbs had accepted Orthodox accepted Orthodox Christianity. In the late 1100s, Christianity. In the late 1100s, they set up their own state, they set up their own state, which reached its height in the which reached its height in the 1300s under Stefan Dusan 1300s under Stefan Dusan ((stehsteh vahn vahn doodoo shahn). Dusan shahn). Dusan also encouraged Byzantine also encouraged Byzantine culture, even modeling his law culture, even modeling his law code on that of Justinian.code on that of Justinian.

Dusan’s successors Dusan’s successors lacked his political gifts, lacked his political gifts, however, and Serbia however, and Serbia could not withstand the could not withstand the advance of Ottoman advance of Ottoman Turks. At the battle of Turks. At the battle of Kosovo in 1389, Serbs Kosovo in 1389, Serbs fought to the death, a fought to the death, a memory still honored by memory still honored by their descendants more their descendants more than 600 years later.than 600 years later.

How did each How did each kingdom lose its kingdom lose its independence?independence?