“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” or so said Spanish philosopher and writer George Santayana. And, with the Crimean crisis raging on in Eastern Europe, these words seem particularly poignant.

It is 150 years since the Crimean War saw British, French and Turkish troops traveled to the Black Sea peninsula to quell Russia’s advances through the Middle East and Europe. Now, once again, the floating block of land dangling off the south of Ukraine is the centre of political tension, with the threat of military actions also pending.

As an aide to people who might not have swatted up on their history recently, a time lapse video has surfaced that outlines the history of Europe over the past 1,000 years. The three-minute video maps the evolution of Europe from 1,000AD to near the modern day using software from the Centennia Historical Atlas and it has been widely shared across social media sites.

The strangely engrossing video, which comes complete with Hans Zimmer’s Inception score, races through the rise and fall of countless European empires. It serves as a valuable illustration of not only the staggering level of conflict in the continent’s history but also just how recently geographical boundaries have changed and new nation states have been created. Watch the video below.

“History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.” John F. Kennedy.