A Companion to Europe, 1900 – 1945

This Companion to Europe 1900–1945 brings together a distinguished group of international scholars to discuss the major debates in the study of early twentieth–century Europe. The volume outlines the great political and social upheavals of the period and the great changes in culture and the economy. Topics include imperial rivalries, the devastation of the First World War, the challenges of recovery, the rise of fascism and communism, and the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. It offers helpful introductions to these tumultuous developments, provides an overview of current scholarly thinking, and illuminates perennial themes as well as new areas of inquiry. The companion opens with a section on “continuity and change” addressing overarching themes and movements. The remaining five parts are organised chronologically, each one focusing on a particular period in time. In each of these chronological sections, scholars consider a range of social, economic, cultural, and political issues, paying particular attention to those questions which have attracted most debate. The approach throughout is pan–European, highlighting similarities and differences across nations and regions.

Notes on Contributors. Preface. Maps. Introduction: Europe in Agony, 1900–1945 ( Gordon Martel ). PART I CONTINUITY AND CHANGE; FORCES AND MOVEMENTS. 1 Urbanization, Poverty, and Crime ( Paul Lawrence ). 2 The Revolution in Science ( Cathryn Carson ). 3 Feminism: Women, Work, and Politics ( June Hannam ). 4 Modernism ( Robin Walz ). 5 The Cult of Youth ( Elizabeth Harvey ). 6 Sexuality and the Psyche ( Lesley A. Hall ). 7 The Economy ( Peter Wardley ). PART II BEFORE THE DELUGE. 8 Europe’s World: Power, Empire, and Colonialism ( Woodruff D. Smith ). 9 Social Reform or Social Revolution? ( Gary P. Steenson ). 10 Modernity: Approaching the Twentieth Century ( Angela K. Smith ). 11 Politics: The Past and the Future ( Peter Waldron ). 12 The Coming of War, 1914 ( Annika Mombauer ). PART III WORLD WAR I. 13 August 1914: Public Opinion and the Crisis ( David Welch ). 14 The War in the Trenches ( Tim Travers ). 15 The War from Above: Aims, Strategy, and Diplomacy ( Matthew Stibbe ). 16 The War and Revolution ( Mark Baker ). PART IV THE AFTERMATH OF WAR. 17 Peacemaking after World War I ( Alan Sharp ). 18 Demobilization and Discontent ( James M. Diehl ). 19 The Socialist Experiment ( William J. Chase ). 20 The Fascist Challenge ( Martin Blinkhorn ). 21 Revisionism ( Carole Fink ). PART V THE NEW AGE. 22 The Jazz Age ( Thomas J. Saunders ). 23 The Nazi New Society ( Dick Geary ). 24 The Popular Front ( Michael Richards ). 25 The Strategic Revolution ( Tami Davis Biddle ). 26 Hitler and the Origins of World War II ( Anita J. Prazmowska ). PART VI WORLD WAR II. 27 Grand Strategy and Summit Diplomacy ( Michael Jabara Carley ). 28 The Real War ( David French ). 29 The Home Fronts: Europe at War, 1939–1945 ( Nicholas Atkin ). 30 The Holocaust ( David Engel ). 31 Memories of World War II and the Holocaust in Europe ( Harold Marcuse ). Bibliography. Index.

Gordon Martel is Professor of History at the University of Northern British Columbia. Among his other edited works are The Origins of the Second World War Reconsidered ( 1999) and The World War Two Reader (2004).

"It is refreshing to find a book covering this period tackling such a breadth of issues. An essential acquisition for any academic library supporting teaching and research in modern European history and politics." Reference Reviews<!––end––> "This well–constructed volume ... covers a range of familiar topics alongside newer areas of inquiry within the period. This is a work that undergraduates will find consistently useful as a starting point of inquiry into the forces and events which marked the first part of Euriope′s history up to 1945." History “This handsome … volume provides a solid summary … .This is an impressive effort. Martel … [is] clearly … very good at what he does.” University of Toronto Quarterly