Shared History Unites and Divides Europeans

There is certainly plenty of shared history between Europeans with most of it more likely to cause division rather than unity especially before the start of the European integration process. A shared history could be regarded as having started with some share ancestors. Europe has been subject to waves of immigration and invasions, with immigrants and invaders increasing the diversities amongst the Europeans (Roberts, 1996, p. 12). Such groups of immigrants, settlers and invaders have included the Celts, the Franks, Goths and the Huns. Even in the present day the areas were immigrants were most successful is reflected in the name of European countries and regions. For example France derives its name from the Franks, England derives its name from the Angles whilst Hungary derives its name from the Huns and the Magyars. Many of these tribes and peoples had strong links with other Europeans as well as differences (Roberts, 1996, pp. 75-76). Much of Europe has at some point being subject to invasions whether from other Europeans or from groups that were originally from beyond Europe. These periods of immigrations and invasions have made a contribution both to the factors that unite Europeans and those that divide them. For instance the Celtic culture and traditions have remained stronger in Ireland, Scotland and Wales because they survived or avoided invasions better than England and France did (McCormick, 2002, p. 30).

The long stability of the Roman Empire meant that many Europeans have a shared history and cultural heritage reflected in Latin based languages, the remnants of Roman law and the Christian religion. The Roman Empire demonstrated that that large Empires could dominate continents with a single currency, a common language for administration and good internal communications and transport systems. However the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire demonstrated that any integration process can be soon reversed if internal divisions and external enemies are not dealt with. Despite the collapse of the Western Roman Empire the spread of Christianity in both its Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox forms meant that it become the common religion of the majority of Europeans eventually. The spread of Christianity brought Greek and Roman influences to parts of Europe and their peoples that had never been part of the Roman Empire such as present day Romania, Bulgaria and Russia (Cameron, 1993, pp. 190-91). Although many Europeans shared and nominally continue to share Christianity as their religion that caused divisions between the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox parts of the church. Religious divisions were later intensified with the split of the Protestants away from the Roman Catholic Church. Religious differences have caused much bloodshed whilst causing some of the main differences between Eastern and Western Europeans. Not all Europeans were Christians there were also Jews and Muslims that faced varying degrees of acceptance ranging from indifference to fierce persecution (Bideleux and Jeffries, 1998, p.18).