The Netherlands gained independence from Spain, Sweden gained control of the Baltic and France was acknowledged as the preeminent western power
The development of printing initiated revolutionary changes that would change all of Europe. Such changes included an era of mass production of books. Then, as the availability and number of books increased, more people learned to read and write.
As reading and writing became more common, many more Christians could already read the Bible. As a result, the ideas of religious reformers spread faster and to a larger audience than ever was, and the movement known as the Protestant Reformation would unleash forces that would shatter Christian unity in Europe.
