The Northern European Power Shift

Paper Summary:

This paper outlines the historical factors and events during the 14th and 15th centuries that caused the balance of power to shift away from Portugal and Spain and toward the Netherlands, France, and England.

From the Paper:

"In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the dominant explorers of the time hailed from Portugal and Spain, and these countries were made quite wealthy as a result. Their position, however, as significant empires would not last forever, and soon, the countries of Northern Europe - in particular, the Netherlands, France, and England - set out to take their share of the riches, too. These countries improved on the Spanish and Portuguese methods of exploration, ship building, and trade. The English had faster, more agile ships that were more maneuverable then those of Portugal and Spain."

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