History 303 is a survey of the horrors and splendors of Europe’s history during the past century, from 1914 to the present.

Europe's twentieth century was often a century of terrors: Europeans unleashed two devastating world wars; fierce ideological and political conflict between liberal democracy, fascism, and communism; and genocide and so-called “ethnic cleansing.” In the process, their relations with the rest of the world changed dramatically. The European nations began the century as the world’s dominant imperial powers. After two world wars, Europe was split into two halves, integrated into blocs dominated by “outside” powers, the USA and USSR, during the Cold War. In our time, Europeans are struggling to redefine their identities and their place in a multipolar, global society.

But the full picture is as contradictory and varied as Europe itself. Europe's twentieth century was also a time of exciting social transformation and cultural innovation. And in the second half of the century, Europe overcame many of its nationalist and ideological divisions and began a movement toward unification whose destination is still open. The legacies of earlier conflicts remain, and Europeans face difficult new problems. Still, a central question of this course will be how Europe succeeded in transforming itself so dramatically in the course of the twentieth century. To explore this question, we will examine the major social, political, and cultural movements that have vied to define and control Europe during the entire period. We will give full attention to the second half of the century, up to and including recent events.