The History of the Idea of Europe (What Is Europe?)

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the re-emergence of central Europe and moves towards monetary, economic and political union within the European Union, Europe in the 1990s is at a crossroads. But what does Europe, and being European mean? What kind of Europe are we building and why? How does this new Europe relate to the Europe of the past? This book puts the idea of Europe in its historical context, tracing it back to the ancient Greeks and their association of Europe with political freedom. From this starting point the first essay shows how Europe became identified with Christendom in the 15th-century and with "civilisation" in the 18th-century before being used by 19th-century reformers and reactionaries for their different political purposes. Twentieth century developments are the focus for discussion in the last two essays. A number of "projects" for Europe are examined against the background of the two world wars, consideration is given to recent trends towards political and economic integration, and an assessment is offered of the contemporary relevance of the European idea.