The world fell into a period of darkness as the ancient civilizations collapsed over time, leaving people to turn to the complex system created by feudalism. During this time, people looked to Christianity for hope, constructing cathedrals, decorated with dreaming spires and luminous stain glass windows, fitting to be Houses of God. Intellects attempted to reconcile the gap between faith and reason while Christians fought vigorously to drive out Muslim invaders. At the same time, trading between the East and the West flourished as Europeans traveled to the Orient, which was dominated by the Khans. Though it appeared to be a step back, the discovery of the New World laid the groundwork for the rise of future empires.

If last century was known as the Age of Exploration, this would be known as the Age of Enlightenment, as great minds such as Newton, Galileo, Déscartes, Hooke, and van Leeuwenhoek made several scientific breakthroughs. However, this is not to say that the period was not without its share of conflict and problems. While the Ming Dynasty collapsed under the pressure of the Manchus and Europeans colonized the New World, Europe found itself caught in a Thirty Years War and threw all major powers in Europe into a period of constant warfare. With the rise of empires during this time, the idea of absolutism established by King Louis XIV of France held onto authority of the state with an iron fist justified by divine right.

During the time of gallant, brilliantly colored uniforms and orderly warfare, Europe found itself caught in a series of succession wars as Spain, Austria and Poland all found themselves without a direct heir. Warfare engulfs not only the Old Continent, but draws the Americas into their fights. The Enlightenment continued to progress intellectual thought, though soon gave rise to revolutions in the end of the period, some in which the effects would be felt for the next century. The Manchus establish rule in China, but soon found rebellions and continuous warfare, paired with famine and overpopulation, an ever-pressing issue.

The development of the Romantic idea known as nationalism encouraged man to look at themselves not merely as subjects of kings, but as people united under one national culture. Though it succeeded in uniting people, it often led to revolutions as people sought independence from the Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Chinese Empire, Holy Roman Empire and Mughal Empire. On the other hand, Imperialism pressed England, Germany and the United States to expand their borders and the carving of Asia amongst western powers. At the same time, the gears of the Industrial Revolution propelled countries into automated production as technological advances improved the quality of life in some aspects.

In the wake of the Industrial Revolution and the decline of the age of empires, the world found itself in a delicate balance of power. During this period, nations were so thoroughly bound to each other that a single tip of the scale launched most of the world into war, while an economic depression in one part of the world threw the entire world an economic crisis. This was a time when strong ideologies drove countries to go at war with each other, whether it was to demonstrate the racial superiority or to champion freedom. The world tried to form an international forum for peace as the struggle between Capitalism with Communism in an undeclared worldwide war continued on until the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving only one hegemony standing on the world stage.