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In this video I talk about the strategic locations in which some Europeans cities are located, and how those location choices have benefited them throughout history.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
01:56 Istanbul, Turkey
03:20 Amsterdam, Netherlands
04:25 London, England
05:35 Established Titles
06:52 Gibraltar, United Kingdom
08:26 Sevilla, Spain
09:10 Saint Petersburg, Russia
10:13 Lisbon, Portugal
11:21 Paris, France
12:18 Summary
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0:00
Have you ever looked at a map of Europe, pointed out all the major cities, and wondered why they are where they are
0:06
Europe's cities are arguably some of the most well-placed in the world, and this has allowed them throughout history to benefit from those locations
0:14
Even today, in modern times, European cities are often seen as models of what cities should be, being only surpassed by some Asian ones in most indicators
0:24
I came across an interesting article a while back titled, Five Reasons the World Looks to European Cities
0:31
Granted, it was published by the European Central Bank, so there is likely to be some bias in valuing their own
0:36
but they point out a series of advantages that European cities have today
0:41
These advantages are a result of the policies put into place by their governments
0:45
at local, national, and EU levels. But many of those policies are possible due to their development and growth throughout history
0:53
Arguably one of the main reasons for that development is the place in which they are located
0:58
If you've ever played Civilization games, you know how important it is to choose where you settle your city
1:04
Most cities in Europe and in the world are placed in strategic locations that will benefit their settlement and growth
1:11
but some are luckier than others, and that luck or skill in choosing the right place benefits them in a way that allows for further growth and development
1:20
So in this video I want to take a look at some of Europe's best placed cities understanding three
1:28
simple things. First, why they are located where they are. Second, how they were created and
1:34
developed. And third, how that location has benefited them throughout history up to today
1:39
Let's quickly list out the cities we'll be talking about here. First, Istanbul, then Amsterdam
1:44
London, Gibraltar, Seville, St. Petersburg, quickly mentioning Copenhagen as well, Lisbon, and Paris. Let's start with the ones on the thumbnail. First, Istanbul. Istanbul's strategic
1:56
location is almost too obvious when we look at a map. It's located between two continents
2:01
Europe and Asia. But before Istanbul was Istanbul and was just Constantinople
2:07
being much smaller and only located on the European side, its location was already strategic
2:13
Its placement allows for the control of the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Black
2:18
sea to the Mediterranean, the only access to open sea for countries like Bulgaria, Romania
2:24
Ukraine, or Georgia, and also being very important for Russia, as well as any country that wishes to
2:30
trade by sea with those nations. The city was founded as Byzantium in the 7th century BC
2:35
In 330, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great made it his imperial capital
2:41
eventually renaming it to Constantinople after himself. The city grew in size and influence
2:47
eventually becoming a beacon of the Silk Road and one of the most important cities in history
2:52
It's interesting that even at a point in history when sea trade wasn't nearly as prevalent and
2:57
important as it is today, the city was already strategically placed as a gateway from Asia
3:02
into Europe with high importance in global trade. But we can see on this comparing map
3:07
that the old Constantinople was already located in a strategic location on the streets with the modern Istanbul expanding from it This is in my opinion the best well city in Europe
3:19
Then, Amsterdam. Amsterdam was founded on the Amstel River. Most prosperous cities in the world
3:25
are located next to rivers. It is important that there is a good source of fresh water near a
3:29
settlement, and it also provides good irrigation for potential farming. It originated as a small
3:34
fishing village in the 12th century, named after the local dam built to stop the Amstel River from
3:39
flooding, but grew greatly in importance about 500 years later. In some of these, it's something
3:44
of a situation of what came first, the chicken or the egg. Did Amsterdam grow immensely because
3:49
the Netherlands became a strong colonial power, or did it become a strong colonial power partially
3:54
because Amsterdam was so well-placed? During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century
4:00
Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world. The large bay around it
4:05
offered a natural protection for its port, favoring it in comparison to other coastal regions
4:10
and leading it to become a center for finance and trade in Europe. Today, Amsterdam is still one of
4:15
Europe's main cities due to the growth it saw throughout history, mainly in these colonial
4:20
times in which its location was crucial. Moving west is London. London is located on a river as
4:27
well, the Thames, a criteria that is checked by almost all cities on this list. The first main
4:32
settlement here was built by the Romans in the year 100 as the capital of their Britannia province
4:37
It was founded on the point of the river where it was narrow enough to bridge and venture out into
4:42
the sea or continental Europe. After the Romans left the city, it declined, but in about 680
4:49
it became a major port again, then suffering from Viking raids. It was then refounded by King
4:54
offered and by the 11th century, London was the largest city in England. And its location was
5:00
strategic due to two reasons. First, the river itself, allowing it to be an important trade port
5:06
And second, the river and marshland allowed for great defensive capability. London was effectively
5:12
an island, only accessible through the old London Bridge. From the 16th to 17th century, London
5:18
benefited from decentralized politics and the maritime trade expansion. Like I mentioned at the
5:23
start, it's not only the location and not only the policies, but a combination of both that make
5:29
the success of a city. Because London was in a river slash coastal region, it allowed it to
5:35
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within a few minutes of walking distance. Now, back to the video
6:53
All the way in southern Spain, but still a part of the United Kingdom, at least for now
6:57
Gibraltar. Gibraltar's strategic value is very similar to that of Istanbul, and we can see it as
7:02
soon as we see a map of its location. It is the gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
7:08
Prior to the construction of the Suez C, all settlements in the Mediterranean coast
7:13
as well as full-on countries like Italy, Greece, all of the Balkans, Turkey, and North African
7:18
countries had to go through here in order to access the rest of the world by sea. In 1160
7:25
an Almohad Sultan ordered that a permanent settlement, including a castle, be built here
7:30
It received the name of Medinat al-Fat, City of Victory. It changed hands between the Moors and
7:36
Spanish a bunch of times, and then in 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht granted it to Great Britain
7:42
who, as the United Kingdom, still hold it up to today. A fun fact, in 1779, the French and Spanish attempted to capture it from the British
7:51
during the American War of Independence, but they were unsuccessful. Its strategic value actually increased with the opening of the Suez C
8:00
controlled by the British as well, as it lay on the sea route between the UK and the British Empire in the east
8:06
Arguably, at this time, British control over the Mediterranean was very significant
8:10
and half of it was because of the settlement. Gibraltar isn't a great city today, nor is it
8:16
vastly prosperous, but its settlement is very well located and at one time in history its control
8:21
meant great rule over the entire Mediterranean. And just nearby is Sevilla. During the colonial
8:27
age, Sevilla was the main Spanish port. Sevilla is over 2,000 years old as a settlement, but its
8:33
real growth only took place when it was chosen by the Spanish crown to be the headquarters for
8:39
its transatlantic trade. Most Spanish ships that went to their Southern American or Asian colonies
8:45
left and came back to Sevilla. This led to a tremendous growth of the settlement. Its choice
8:50
was somewhat odd because Sevilla isn't a coastal city, rather an interior one. But being located on
8:56
the Guadalquivir River, which is large enough to sail through, it served the purpose, even though
9:01
it wasn't founded with this objective. Today, that strategic importance has been surpassed
9:06
but Sevilla is still a great city. All the way back up north is Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg
9:11
was built by Russian Emperor Peter the Great in 1703. In Russia, it's historically and culturally
9:17
associated with the birth of the Russian Empire and Russia's entry into modern history as a
9:22
European great power. Part of this was symbolic, but another part was a direct effect. The conquest
9:28
of the territory and the construction of the city and port created a direct access to the Baltic Sea
9:34
and the North Atlantic for the Russian Empire Its location was extremely strategic on the coast of this northern sea to replace the old port of Arkhangelsk which froze during the winter
9:45
It was so important that it became the new Russian capital for a while. Peter the Great
9:50
admired and took great influence from the Dutch Empire, especially its naval capabilities
9:55
perhaps taking inspiration from Amsterdam when it came to the establishment of the city
9:59
Also related to the Baltic North Sea is Copenhagen. Copenhagen is located at a great point to control
10:05
access between these two bodies of water, in similar style to Istanbul or Gibraltar
10:12
And back to the Iberian Peninsula, we have Lisbon. Lisbon is a great example of a location
10:16
which arguably shaped the country's history. It wasn't a very strategic location to start with
10:21
but its location proved to be incredibly useful, similarly to Sevilla at one point
10:26
but maintaining it up to modern times. Let's find out how and why
10:31
Lisbon was founded at the end of the Tezhu River. According to legend, the location was named for
10:35
the mythical Ulysses, who would have founded a city after sailing there. But the real origin
10:40
seems to be Olisipu, the Roman settlement. Throughout history, Lisbon changed hands from
10:45
the Romans to the Visigoths and then the Moors, finally being conquered by Portugal in 1147
10:50
But despite being at the mouth of the river, its location wasn't particularly strategic. However
10:55
with the development of Portuguese sea navigation and its expansion out into the ocean leading the
11:01
growth of European colonialism, Lisbon became an important city in Europe and the world. It was the
11:06
point of departure and arrival of various ships and like Amsterdam, it became a key colonial port
11:12
Being the westernmost main city and port of Europe, it also gained further importance with
11:16
the arrival of Europeans in America and the beginning of globalization. And finally for this
11:21
video, Paris. Paris is arguably the opposite of Lisbon and Sevilla, a city which upon its creation
11:27
made a lot of strategic sense, having lost some of it throughout time. Also built on a river
11:32
but not at its mouth. Paris was built up the river, on purpose, likely in order to defend itself from
11:38
coastal raids. The first native settlement by the Parisi tribe was conquered by the Romans in 52 BC
11:44
which led to the further development of it. Paris' strategic importance was related with its many
11:49
bridges, which prevented ships from passing and raiding the city. These were established
11:54
during the successful defense in the Siege of Paris of 885. The early strategic value led to
12:01
great development of the city and its establishment as the French capital. Today, the location on the
12:05
river is no longer relevant, we don't have Viking raids anymore, but its central location in France
12:10
and in Europe remains of value. And that initial strategic location led to a growth and importance
12:16
that lasts up to today. So, those are some of the most well-placed cities in Europe
12:23
understanding why they were created in these places, how the establishment of the settlements
12:26
took place and how they developed throughout time, as well as learning a little about how
12:31
these locations have benefited them and their development throughout history up to today
12:35
Do you agree or disagree with my view on this and are there any other strategically or well-placed
12:40
cities that I didn't mention? Let me know in the comments. Thanks so much for watching this video
12:46
subscribe if you want and I will see you next time for more general knowledge
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