Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History presents readers with a concise and accessible survey of the most significant themes and political events that shaped European history in the 20th and 21st centuries.

* Features updates that include a new chapter that reviews major political and economic trends since 1989 and an extensively revised chapter that emphasizes the intellectual and cultural history of Europe since World War II

* Organized into brief chapters that are suitable for traditional courses or for classes in non-traditional courses that allow for additional material selected by the professor

* Includes the addition of a variety of supplemental materials such as chronological timelines, maps, and illustrations

Michael D. Richards is Professor Emeritus, Sweet Briar College. He is the author of Revolutions in World History (2003), and has published book chapters, articles, and reviews in scholarly journals, periodicals, and reference works.

Paul R. Waibel is Professor of History at Belhaven University. He is the author of Politics of Accommodation (1983), Quiknotes: Christian History (2000), Martin Luther: A Brief Introduction to His Life and Works (2005), and numerous articles and reviews in scholarly journals, periodicals, reference works, and anthologies.

Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History presents readers with a concise and accessible survey of the most significant themes and political events that shaped European history in the 20th and 21st centuries. For ease of comprehension, the book is carefully organized into four sectionstwo covering the period prior to World War II, and two dealing with events of the war and post-war period up to the present. Each chapter begins with a helpful chronology of key events. A variety of supplemental illustrations, maps, tables, charts, and suggested readings enhance clarity. Highlights of this new third edition include a chapter setting Europe in the context of a post-Cold War world with an analysis of major trends in the two decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall and a chapter containing a detailed discussion of the cultural and intellectual currents since World War II. Combining accessibility with thoughtful scholarly insights, Twentieth-Century Europe offers readers an ideal introductory overview to the complexities of a century marked by great achievements and startling barbarity.

Preface vii

Part 1 Overview: 19001919 1

1 Before the Deluge: Europe, 19001914 5

2 The Great War, 19141918 35

3 Revolution and Peacemaking, 19171919 65

Part 2 Overview: 19191939 91

4 Aftershocks of the Great War 95

5 Recovery and Prosperity, 19191929 117

6 From Depression to War, 19291939 145

Part 3 Overview: 19391967 171

7 Armageddon: Europe in World War II, 19391945 175

8 Cold War and Decolonization, 19451961 207

9 Out of the Ashes: From Stunde Null (zero hour) to a New Golden Age, 19451967 235

Part 4 Overview: 1968Present 269

10 Metamorphosis: An Era of Revolutionary Change, 19681988 275

11 Searching for Meaning in a Multicultural World 313

12 Charting a New Course: Europe from 1989 to the Present 345

Appendix 379

Index 384