Europe's Troubled Peace: 1945 - 2000

by Tom Buchanan (University of Oxford)

• ISBN13: 9780631221630
• ISBN10: 0631221638
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Covering the period from the end of the Second World War up to the Millennium, this book offers an integrated overview of the history of Europe, east and west, in the second half of the twentieth century. The text: Deals not only with developments in politics, economics, and international relations, but also examines social and cultural trends Covers the history of central and eastern Europe in depth, as well as that of western Europe Describes the impact of the Second World War on Europe Discusses in detail the impact of the Cold War across the continent. Recounts the rapid and dramatic changes in eastern Europe and the USSR that led to the end of the Cold War Takes the reader right up to the end of the century, offering a new interpretation of Europe in the 1990s

Author Biography

Tom Buchanan is Reader in Modern History and Politics at Oxford University and a Fellow of Kellogg College. His previous publications include Britain and the Spanish Civil War (1997).

Table of Contents

List of Maps	xi
List of Illustrations	xii
Introduction: Europe's Troubles	1	(246)
1 The War and its Legacy	9	(27)
Conquest and Occupation	9	(4)
Collaboration	13	(3)
Resistance	16	(4)
Liberation, 1943-1945	20	(4)
Neutral Europe	24	(2)
The Human and Physical Cost	26	(5)
Judgement	31	(3)
Conclusion	34	(2)
2 Europe between the Powers, 1945-1953	36	(25)
From Grand Alliance to Cold War, 1941-1947	36	(6)
The German Question	42	(5)
Marshall Aid and Economic Security	47	(5)
NATO and the Defence of the West	52	(4)
Culture and the Cold War	56	(3)
Conclusion	59	(2)
3 Restoration, Reconstruction and Revolution: Europe, 1945-1950	61	(30)
A New Europe?	61	(3)
Politics in Western Europe	64	(8)
Western Europe: Reconstruction and Welfare	72	(3)
Scandinavia: Paths to Security	75	(2)
Southern Europe: Dictatorship and Civil War	77	(3)
The Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe	80	(6)
Between East and West: Finland, Austria and Yugoslavia	86	(3)
Conclusion	89	(2)
4 Consolidating Western Europe, 1950-1963	91	(27)
Fears and Aspirations	91	(4)
Towards Affluence: The Economy and Social Change	95	(5)
From Korea to Berlin: The International Context	100	(3)
'No Experiments': West Germany, Britain and Italy	103	(7)
France and Algeria	110	(4)
Social Democratic Alternatives	114	(3)
Conclusion	117	(1)
5 Western Europe in the 1960's	118	(26)
The Cultural Divide	118	(6)
The New Society: Economic and Social Change	124	(4)
The Limits to Reform: Italy, West Germany and Britain	128	(4)
The Enigmatic Republic: France, 1958-1968	132	(2)
Revolt: Students and Workers, 1967-1969	134	(6)
The Persistence of Dictatorship: Spain, Portugal and Greece	140	(2)
Conclusion	142	(2)
6 The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, from 1953 to the 1970's	144	(24)
New Societies, Recurrent Crises	144	(7)
Khrushchev and de-Stalinization	151	(3)
The Crisis of 1956: Poland and Hungary	154	(4)
The Start of the Brezhnev Era	158	(2)
East European Alternatives: Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania	160	(3)
From Prague Spring to Brezhnev Doctrine	163	(4)
Conclusion	167	(1)
7 Western Europe in the 1970's: Downturn and Detente	168	(27)
The Era of Detente	168	(3)
Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik, 1969-1974	171	(3)
The New Economic Insecurity	174	(3)
West European Politics	177	(6)
The Rise of Terrorism, c.1970-1981	183	(2)
Intellectual and Cultural Developments	185	(2)
Transitions: Spain, Portugal and Greece	187	(6)
Conclusion	193	(2)
8 Western Europe in the 1980's: The Era of Thatcher, Mitterrand and Kohl	195	(29)
Towards the Post-Industrial Society	195	(3)
Postmodern Cultures?	198	(3)
The New Cold War	201	(2)
Thatcher's Britain	203	(3)
Mitterrand's France	206	(5)
Helmut Kohl and West Germany	211	(4)
Breaking the Mould? New Political Movements	215	(3)
Southern Europe	218	(4)
Conclusion	222	(2)
9 European Integration: From Rome to Maastricht, 1957-1992	224	(23)
Perspectives on Integration	224	(6)
The Foundation of the EEC	230	(4)
De Gaulle and the EEC, 1958-1969	234	(3)
Stagnation, 1970-1984	237	(2)
The Single European Act and '1992'	239	(3)
Maastricht and After	242	(3)
Conclusion	245	(2)
10 The Fall of the Communist Regimes: The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1980-1991	247	(26)
'All that is solid melts into air'	247	(4)
Poland and Solidarity, 1980-1981	251	(4)
Gorbachev and Soviet Reform, 1985-1990	255	(4)
1989: The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe	259	(5)
German Reunification, 1989-1990	264	(5)
The End of the Soviet Union, 1990-1991	269	(2)
Conclusion	271	(2)
11 Europe after the Cold War	273	(26)
Building Europe?	273	(5)
West European Politics	278	(3)
Troubled Waters: Italy and Germany	281	(3)
Western Europe: The Economy and EMU	284	(3)
Post-Communism: Eastern Europe and the Former USSR	287	(5)
The Balkan Wars	292	(5)
Conclusion	297	(2)
12 Conclusion	299	(37)
Notes	306	(19)
Guide to Further Reading	325	(11)
Index	336