Researchers agree that the greatest and most decisive turning point in the history of the Carpathian Basin was the foundation of the Hungarian state. King Stephen succeeded in attaching his country to Europe, making his people accept Christianity, and integrating them into the Christian community of Europe.
The 16th and 17th centuries marked the golden age of European navigation. By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch still possessed two to three times as many ships as the English, and one-quarter of the English ships were built by the Dutch. The Spanish, French, and Scandinavians also bought ships from them. Dutch ships were characterized by...
During the 16th century, trade between Europe and the inhabited continents flourished. In the 15th century, only Icelandic fishing boats and a few Spanish and Portuguese ships trading with the Atlantic islands sailed the ocean. By the 16th century, Atlantic voyages had become routine, and smaller-scale trade was also conducted in the Pacific Ocean....
In the last two centuries of the Middle Ages, significant changes occurred in the nature and structure of European trade. The center of international trade shifted northward. Mediterranean shipping declined, while Dutch and later English shipping rose to prominence. This shift was driven by the emergence of a modern, broader-based international...