Europe since 1945: A Concise History

by J. Robert Wegs, Robert Ladrech

This brief overview provides both a chronological and a thematic analysis of European history since 1945.

Genres: History, College

371 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Janko Hudáček]

Európu po roku 1945 som naposledy čítal pred rokmi, ako prípravu na skúšku z Všeobecných dejín IV. Druhé čítanie bolo rozliate v niekoľkých týždňoch, až mesiacoch, oproti vtedajšiemu nútenému zhltnutiu za 14 dní. To poskytlo aj priestor si knihu patrične užiť. Hoci ide primárne o vysokoškolský text, Wegs efektívne okoreňuje encyklopedický naratív (predpokladám) archívnymi insightmi jednotlivcov a okrem histórie sa dostatočne venuje aj ekonomike, sociológiia a v predposlednej kapitole aspoň symbolicky i filozofii a umeniu. Písať o kľúčových európskych udalostiach 20. storočia a nekomentovať tie zámorské, ktoré boli často siamsky zrastené, bolo určite autorsky náročné a čitateľsky ochudobňujúce, ale to zo mňa iba hovorí túžba po širokom kontexte. Naopak, ak sa chcete zavŕtať napríklad do menoslovu maďarských politických elít na prelome 50. a 60. rokov, knihu viac než oceníte.

[Domi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pokud chcete zažít, jak vypadá skutečně těžce sehnatelná kniha, zkuste sehnat tuto. :)
V zásadě se mi líbila, bohužel popisy některých událostí jsou hodně nečtivé a příšerně se táhnou. Nicméně must-read pro ty, kdo si z dějepisu 2. poloviny 20. století ze školy nic pořádně neodnesli.

[Bookwombat · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK concise history, but I came across at least one troubling factual error from an area of political history I happen to know fairly well, which left me with some awkward worries about what else the authors have gotten wrong.

The error is found on page 301 in the 5th edition (2006):
"From 1982 until 1993, Poul Schlüter from the Conservative People's Party served as the first non-socialist prime minister [of Denmark] since the inter-war period".

This is not just slightly wrong, but completely off the mark. In fact, Schlüter was only the fifth(!) "non-socialist prime minister" of Denmark since 1945.

Schlüter was preceded by the following Danish non-socialist PMs:
- Agrarian Liberal PM Knud Kristensen (Agrarian Liberal cabinet 1945-'47)
- Agrarian Liberal PM Erik Eriksen (Agrarian Liberals & Conservatives '50-'53)
- Social Liberal PM Hilmar Baunsgaard (Social Liberals, Agrarian Liberals & Conservatives '68-'71)
- Agrarian Liberal PM Poul Hartling (Agrarian Liberals '73-'75)

What may have confused the authors were, I believe, direct translations of the titles of the Danish political parties in question. Thus, a literal translation of the Agrarian Liberals' Danish name would be "Left", or the extended "Left, Denmark's Liberal Party" ("Venstre"/"Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti"). Likewise, the Social Liberals' name in Danish translates into the "The Radical Left" ("Det Radikale Venstre").

However, these terms of left/liberal and radical should be understood in their 19th century political context (i.e. compared to the conservatives on the right, but before the advent of Social Democrats/Socialists/Marxists further to the left). Hence, they conform to the conservative/liberal/radical distinctions found in a work such as Hobsbawm's "The Age of Revolution".

Nevertheless, such a factual error should not be found in a scholarly work - and certainly not in its fifth edition.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just what it says - A nice concise history of Europe since 1945. It was an easy read and provided me with just the right level of overview to understand the major events that have shaped modern Europe. This editition only went up to the early stages of the EU (mid90's)

[Pawel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid source of information about postwar Europe. Mainly politics and economy also society and tiny chapter about culture.