Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, from 1453 to the PresentWith "verve and panache," this magisterial history of Europe since 1453 shows how struggles over the heart of the continent have shaped the world we live in today (The Economist). Whoever controls the core of Europe controls the entire continent, and whoever controls Europe can dominate the world. Over the past five centuries, a rotating cast of kings, conquerors, presidents, and dictators have set their sights on the European heartland, desperate to seize this pivotal area or at least prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. From Charles V and Napoleon to Bismarck and Cromwell, from Hitler and Stalin to Roosevelt and Gorbachev, nearly all the key power players of modern history have staked their titanic visions on this vital swath of land. In Europe, prizewinning historian Brendan Simms presents an authoritative account of the past half-millennium of European history, demonstrating how the battle for mastery of the continent's center has shaped the modern world. A bold and compelling work by a renowned scholar, Europe integrates religion, politics, military strategy, and international relations to show how history -- and Western civilization itself -- was forged in the crucible of Europe. |
Contents
42 | |
Revolutions 17561813 | 106 |
Emancipations 1814 66 | 176 |
Unifications 18671916 | 236 |
Utopias 191744 | 307 |
Partitions 194573 | 381 |
Democracies 19742011 | 458 |
Conclusion | 530 |
626 | |
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Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, from 1453 to the Present Brendan Simms No preview available - 2013 |
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alliance allies ambitions American argued army Atlantic attack Austria Austria-Hungary Berlin Bismarck Brendan Simms Britain British Cambridge central Europe chancellor Charles Cold War colonial communist constitutional continent crisis defeat defence demanded democracy democratic détente diplomatic domestic politics dominated Dutch early East eastern economic election Elector emperor encirclement enemy England especially European balance feared forced foreign minister foreign policy France Frederick French geopolitics German global grand strategy Habsburg History Hitler Holy Roman Empire ideological imperial intervention Italy Jews king late leader liberal London Louis Low Countries military mobilize monarchy Moscow Napoleon nationalist NATO North nuclear Ottoman Empire Paris parliament party peace Poland Polish pre-empt President princes quotation Quoted reform Reich Republic revolution revolutionary Russian sought Soviet Union Spain Spanish St Petersburg Stalin strategic struggle territorial threat tion Treaty troops tsar tsarist unification United victory Vienna warned Washington western