In 1945, Europe was in ruins. Two global conflicts between 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 had leveled entire cities with the destructive powers of industrialized warfare. These conflicts produced genocidal regimes that pursued mass murder at a previously unimaginable scale. What made such violence possible, and how did ordinary men and women experience it? History 318 will seek answers to these questions by beginning with an account of Europe at the end of the nineteenth century. We will explore the social dislocation that accompanied Europe’s transformation from a predominantly rural and agrarian society into a modern industrial economy and consumer society. You will read about the ideologies and cultural forces that helped people understand—and misunderstand—these often bewildering developments: liberalism, socialism, and nationalism. We will follow the events that took Europe from the devastation of World War I to the postwar revolutions that reshaped political and economic life in Russia. The final weeks of the class will explore the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe, and the prolonged nightmare of the Second World War.

Course Requirements:

Two exams and two papers, weekly reading assignments.

Intended Audience:

Undergraduates interested in history.

Class Format:

Two lectures a week and one discussion section.