14th-16th C: The European Renaissance happens on schedule, as does the Schism within the Catholic church. As Europe starts to emerge from feudal isolation, inventors and scholars, especially in Italy, communicate more with their counterparts in the Ottoman Empire. International trade gains momentum and drives the development of sailing technologies as a route to Asian trade. News of the Americas sparks attempts to conquer and loot, but, as these are largely repelled, Spain settles for establishing trade routes. A sea route to India is established from Europe at about the same time China establishes an air route there. This starts the drive for flight development in Europe, though China and its Asian trade partners have a considerable head start.
16th-17th C: Northern Europe follows the sea routes to the Americas. With the establishment of settlements denied, though, resource exploitation is limited and far fewer Europeans attempt to immigrate for religious reasons. Conflict between the Protestant and Catholic countries intensifies. With conquest and exploitation considerably limited, trade becomes a driving need to support these wars. Land routes through the Ottoman Empire and the Russian states flourish alongside the sea routes, as China extends its air-based trade and the Kingdom of Moscow establishes river routes to north-eastern Asia.
18th-19th C: The Enlightenment happens on schedule, possibly even more strongly, driven by reaction against the religious wars and disastrous politics of Europe’s aristocracies. The French Revolution is followed by the Napoleonic wars, further spreading both Enlightenment philosophies and revolutionary socio-politics. The availability of advanced weapons and communications gives the revolutions of 1848 more leverage, and results in the success of some of them, in whole or in part. Social and political reform start to happen.