HIST 217-01, Total War, Cold War, and beyond: Europe since 1914, Spring 2001

Abstract

This course explores the immediate history of our own time by examining the events and themes of the twentieth century in the West. Through lectures, readings, and discussions, we will examine how the Western world has evolved during the last hundred years through what one historian has called an “age of extremes.” Certain central issues will emerge during this course including: the legacies of destruction cause by two “World Wars,” the impact of the crisis of capitalism during the “Great Depression,” the emergence of a “Cold War” between powers who often used Europe as a chessboard for the games of international brinksmanship, and the encroachment of American culture onto a Europe struggling to redefine itself as it has gradually faded from a position of world dominance.