How did Europe become so dominant historically?

The Ancient Greeks and Romans were both powerful players in Europe and various parts of Asia and North Africa. However for much of the time period between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and the 15th century, Europe as a continent (or a peninsula of Asia) was largely a bit player. The locus of power shifted to China, India and to some extent the Middle East. Nevertheless the European footprint was still felt through the conduit of the Byzantine Empire.

Advances in technology, warfare, flexibility of labour, maritime exploration, free enterprise and trade economics helped swing the pendulum back in Europe’s favor from 1450 onward with Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, England and France significantly spreading European influence across the planet. Each of these powers demonstrated their prowess through an expanded Dominion or Empire. Later players such as Germany and Italy also had an elevated presence.

Enlightenment era breakthroughs in science, government and legal theory helped magnify this growing dynamism of European civilization that would peak in the late 1800s with the Industrial Revolution, before declining in the 20th century as a consequence of the energy and life sapping World Wars.

During the Cold War (1945–1991) Europe functioned as a tool in the ideological battle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Many of the Western European countries still charted paths of political, social and economic distinction but the emergence of the Asian tigers, the juggernaut of the American enterprise and continued globalization have largely relegated Europe to a historically significant, but far from dominant player in contemporary geopolitics.

Declining birth rates, ever broadening welfare state politics, stifling top down bureaucracies and low economic growth profiles will likely see Europe slide even further in terms of relative strength