the “United States of Europe":

Spengler refers to the imagined “United States of Europe", established by Napoleon, a romantic, popular military king.  In St Helena during his captivity (1815-21) Napoleon stated: "Europe thus divided into nationalities freely formed and free internally, peace between States would have become easier: the United States of Europe would become a possibility".  He considers this counterfactual institution to be analogous to the realms of the Diadochi.

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Spengler makes a second reference to the “United States of Europe", as a 21st century economic system (the European Union?) created by a down to earth & unimaginative military dictator.  He sees this as a direct counterpart to the Roman Empire.

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analogue:

something possessing a similarity, the like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based (see analogous)

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counterpart:

a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function

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imperium Romanum:

Latin for Roman Empire

 

Grande Nation:

French term, used only historically in relation to the Napoleonic era.  Napolean referred to France in its "natural" (geographical) borders, in a sense similar to "Great Britain" where England , Wales and Scotland are united.  La Grande nation is a centralized republic, not one of many provinces.  In this sense, the term was used in France almost only in the period from 1790 to 1800.

 

liberation of Italy in 1796…1859: * see Endnote 50

In the 18th century Austria dominated the Italian peninsula.  The Treaty of Utrecht gave Charles VI, the Archduke of Austria, Naples, Sardinia & Milan along with other minor states.  The Hapsburgs ruled Tuscany & Florence from 1727- 1799.  In 1796 Napoleon invaded Italy, decisively defeating Austrian forces in a lighting war, ending their domination.  However the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) returned to Vienna rule the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, Venice & Milan.  In the 2nd war of Independence (1859) France was again instrumental in ending Austrian domination.

 

Roman-German Empire (end of):

Spengler's term for the Holy Roman Empire, born in 800 AD, finaly expired a thousand years later; following military defeat at Austerlitz & the subsequent Treaty of Pressburg between Austria & France, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved August 1806, when the last Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated.  Napoleon proceeded to reorganize the Empire into the Confederation of the Rhine, a French satellite.

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French-formed Culture in the ancien regime:

Spengler is asserting that the ancien regime, that is, the old regime, the political & social system of the Kingdom of France from the 15th century until 1789, the hereditary monarchy of the Valois & Bourbon dynasties & feudal system of French nobility, was a product of the organic, creative Cultural (Spring/Summer) phase.

 

English Civilization:

Spengler is asserting that the English forms & domination from circa 1750 (economic Industrial Revolution, political liberalism, the structure of Empire) is a product of the sterile inorganic Civilization (Fall/Winter) phase.

 

"contemporary" epochal moments: * see Endnote 51

Spengler makes an analogy between Faustian and Classical Cultures, showing parallel historical events reflecting the transition from Culture to Civilization in each of these respective Cultures. 

see table: Transition events from Culture to Civilization, in the Classical and Faustian Cultures

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Bastille (storming of):

14 July 1789, Paris, France; the medieval fortress, armory & political prison known as the Bastille, represented royal authority in the centre of Paris though it contained only 7 inmates in July; it was seen as a symbol of the monarchy's abuses of power; its fall was the flashpoint of the Revolution.

 

Valmy:

battle of; 20 September 1792, first major victory by the army of France during the Revolutionary Wars

 

Austerlitz:

aka Battle of the Three Emperors (1805), a decisive engagement in the Napoleonic Wars,Napoleon's greatest victory; France defeated a larger Russian & Austrian army led by Tsar Alexander I & Holy Roman Emperor Francis II.  The War of the Third Coalition came to and end with the Treaty of Pressburg signed by the Austrians.

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Waterloo:

battle, 18 June 1815, near Waterloo Belgium; a French army under Napoleon was defeated by 2 of the armies of the 7th Coalition: a British-led army under Wellington, and a Prussian army under Blücher; French defeat ended Napoleon’s career & the 20 year Napoleonic Wars.

 

rise of Prussia:

Following the Prussian Armies success against Napoleon in 1815, Prussia would go on to defeat Demark (1864),  Austria (1866) and finally France again (1870-71) and emerge as a united Germany, a new European super power.

 

Chaeronea:

battle, 338 BC, near Chaeronea, Boeotia, between the Macedonians led by Philip II  & an alliance of Greek city-states led by Athens & Thebes. The battle was the culmination of Philip's campaign in Greece (339–338 BC) and resulted in a decisive victory for the Macedonians.

 

Gaugamela (Arbela):

aka Battle of Arbela 331 BC decisive battle of Alexander the Great's invasion of the Persian Achaemenid Empire; Alexander's army of the Hellenic League met the Persian army of Darius III near Gaugamela; athough heavily outnumbered, Alexander emerged victorious due to his army's superior tactics & his deft employment of light infantry; this defeat led to the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.

 

Alexander's Indian expedition:

327- 324 BC; Alexander launched a campaign into the Indian subcontinent (he desired to conquer the entire known world, which the Greeks thought ended in India).  After gaining control of the former Achaemenid satrapy of Gandhara & city of Taxila he advanced into Punjab. The Battle of the Jhelum River against a regional Indian King, Porus, was the most costly battle fought by the armies of Alexander.  Subsequently his army refused to cross the Beas River, fearful of the Nanda Empire on the east banks of the Ganges.  Alexander turned south, advancing through southern Punjab and Sindh, conquering more tribes along the lower Indus River before returning to the west.

 

Sentinum:

battle 295 BC near Sentinum , decisive battle of the Third Samnite War in which the Romans were able to overcome a formidable coalition of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians & Senone Gauls; the Roman victory in this battle broke the coalitions, the Etruscans, Umbrians & Senones pulled out of the war. it paved the way for Roman victory in the war.