Answer:
Trade was the driving force in making Europe into the dominant world power as it was the midwife for Europe's superior technology and institutions. And Europe's trade happened because their food was quite terrible and they were hungry for spices to make their food tastier.
The breakdown of feudalism and the emergence of the modern nation-state system were foundational factors leading to European global dominance. Likewise, the Protestant Reformation, an anti-Catholic movement, and a broader social revolution, sparked by Martin Luther in 1517, was a major factor.