ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Former countries in Europe after 1815

After 1815, several countries in Europe stopped existing. Imagine a game of blocks where different colored blocks are put together to make a tower. Some of those blocks were taken away and the tower became smaller. This is what happened to Europe after 1815.

First, let's talk about what happened in Europe before 1815. There were many kingdoms, empires, and countries with different rulers and boundaries. They all had their own ways of doing things, their own languages, and their own cultures. This made it hard for them to get along with each other and caused many conflicts.

In 1815, a big meeting was held in Vienna, Austria. Representatives from all over Europe came together to try and figure out how to keep the peace and prevent any more conflicts. They made some decisions that changed the way Europe looked on a map. Some of the countries that didn't exist anymore after 1815 include:

1. The Holy Roman Empire: This was a big empire that had many different regions and rulers. It was dissolved in 1806 and replaced by smaller countries such as Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

2. The Papal States: This was a small country in the middle of Italy that was ruled by the Pope. It was taken over by Italy in 1870.

3. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: This was a country in the south of Italy that was made up of two separate regions - Sicily and Naples. It was conquered by Italy in 1861.

4. The Grand Duchy of Finland: This was a part of Sweden, but in 1809 it was given to Russia. Finland declared its independence in 1917.

These are just a few examples of the countries that disappeared or changed after 1815. It was a time of big changes for Europe and it took many years for everything to settle down.