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Highlighting the key events, ideas, and individuals that have shaped modern Europe, this fresh and lively book provides a concise history of the continent from the Enlightenment to the present. Drawing on the enduring theme of revolution, David S. Mason explores the political, economic, and scientific causes and consequences of revolution; the development of human rights and democracy; and issues of European identity and integration. He deliberately avoids a detailed chronology of every country and time period, instead emphasizing the most crucial events in shaping contemporary Europe. Fourteen focused chapters address such topical issues as the Enlightenment; the French Revolution and Napoleon; the Industrial Revolution; the theories and impact of Marx and Darwin; the revolutions of 1848, 1917, and 1989; the unifications of Germany and Italy; European imperialism; the two world wars; the Cold War; the evolution and expansion of the European Union; and current issues confronting Europe. Any reader who wants to view the broad sweep of European history will find this book an engaging narrative, supplemented with maps, timelines, sidebars, photos, and a glossary.
Introduction: Revolutionary Europe
Timeline of European History
1 The Old Regime and the Enlightenment
2 The French Revolution and Napoleon
3 The Industrial Revolution and the Birth of Capitalism
4 1848: The People’s Spring
5 Marx, Marxism, and Socialism
The Communist Manifesto
6 Darwinism and Social Darwinism
7 The Unifications of Italy and Germany
8 The Age of Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa
9 World War I
10 The Russian Revolution and Communism
11 World War II and the Holocaust
The War
12 Europe Divided, the Cold War, and Decolonization
Perestroika
13 1989: The Collapse of Communism and End of the Cold War
Perestroika
14 The European Union: Europe United and Free?
Conclusion: Europe in the Twenty-First Century
Europe’s Evolving Relationship with the United States
Glossary
Notes
Suggestions for Additional Reading
Index
Description
Highlighting the key events, ideas, and individuals that have shaped modern Europe, this fresh and lively book provides a concise history of the continent from the Enlightenment to the present. Drawing on the enduring theme of revolution, David S. Mason explores the political, economic, and scientific causes and consequences of revolution; the development of human rights and democracy; and issues of European identity and integration. He deliberately avoids a detailed chronology of every country and time period, instead emphasizing the most crucial events in shaping contemporary Europe. Fourteen focused chapters address such topical issues as the Enlightenment; the French Revolution and Napoleon; the Industrial Revolution; the theories and impact of Marx and Darwin; the revolutions of 1848, 1917, and 1989; the unifications of Germany and Italy; European imperialism; the two world wars; the Cold War; the evolution and expansion of the European Union; and current issues confronting Europe. Any reader who wants to view the broad sweep of European history will find this book an engaging narrative, supplemented with maps, timelines, sidebars, photos, and a glossary.
