The struggle for Europe. The turbulent history of a divided continent 1945-2002

Book abstract:

A major new history of Europe since 1945 written by William Hitchcock, an American teacher of history and international relations.

He describes a continent that was devastated materially, ideologically and in human losses by the Second World War, and yet fifty years on has prospered to an unprecedented extent. The book seeks to answer the question 'How did this extraordinary transformation happen?'

It does not offer a detailed account of each European country, but instead focuses on the principal conflicts, debates and political actors that have done the most to give Europe the shape it has today. The book places particular stress on four interrelated factors that help explain Europe's improving fortunes over the past five decades.

First, Western Europe had a good Cold War, profiting from the American military and economic commitment to Europe and pushing the countries of the West towards cohesion. Secondly, the sheer intensity of the devastation of the Second World War had, in the long run, a positive effect on the European economy. Thirdly, and in contrast to what happened in Western Europe, the peoples of Eastern and Central Europe often had to fight in the last fifty years to secure a free, democratic and just Europe outside of Communism. Fourthly, the European continent since 1945 has largely avoided the pitfalls of violent revolution and moved towards democratisation along a path of moderation and compromise.

The writer also discusses the many serious problems facing Europe: despite the talk of unity and development of experiments such as the EU, Europe remains divided along lines of race, ethnicity, cultural identity, and wealth. In addition, there is the question of the future of European democracy. The author detects a certain malaise in the political sphere. Above all, there is a failure by the European Union to become a genuinely popular organisation - it remains an elite driven and supported process.

The book is written in an immensely accessible, yet informed, style and will appeal to a wide readership.