Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century

I agree with an earlier reviewer that this is the best history of 20th Century Europe ever. Keen insights and fresh ideas leap off every page. But it needs to be repeated: the Dark Continent is not an introduction to the subject. Unless you have a good knowledge of Europe and its history, this is not yet the book for you. Someday maybe, but for now save your money. Some found Mazower's style dry and difficult. I started reading it in a coffee bar and got half-way through before I realized the time. That doesn't happen very often. To me, the writing is clear and fast-moving, and the threads are easy to follow. Imperialism, colonialism, class, nation, prejudice, fascism, communism, democracy, apathy, capitalism, genocide, left, right, in-between, all are described in a calm, intelligent manner, which is perhaps why some see Mazower as being soft on Stalin or Hitler. You won't find hysteria or hyperbole, but then the facts speak for themselves without the need for comments by the author. Think about it: 60-million people were killed in "civilized" Europe in the first half of the 20th Century. With a story like that, a historian doesn't need to raise his voice to get the readers attention.

The central thesis of Dark Continent is that the triumph of democracy in Europe was in no way preordained; rather, it emerged as the victor in an "unremitting struggle" between three rival ideologies: fascism, communism and liberal democracy. This struggle was at the heart of European 20th century history. Prior to the Great War, Europe had three republics; after 1918, there were thirteen. Yet, democracy was unable to secure itself in the interwar years. In fact, by the 1930's liberalism "looked tired," and the "will and action" that appeared to be the hallmark of fascism and communism gained widespread appeal on the continent. The real end of WWII, which began with the reconstruction of Italy in 1943, left two ideologies standing: communism and democracy. Even on the eve of its demise, most analysts assumed that communism would reform itsel, rather than disintegrate. It was thus not until 1989 that "cooperation" began to replace "competition" as the modus operandi of European nation-states. This book manages to provide a holistic view of 20th century Europe while retaining a description of specific events about which I knew little. I include in the latter his discussion of the first German model colony in south of Lublin in Zamosc, the vast migration of Germans in the aftermath of the war and the decision, at leat outside France, not to pursue for prosecution the established arms of the state, particularly the police force. This book ought to put to rest any distinction between the "old" and the "new" Europe. Mazower informs us that continent itself has only recently found its footing after a hundred years of turmoil.

In this fascinating history, author Mark Mazower traces this history of Europe from the end of the First World War, through to when the book was written in 1998. This is not a list of dates and battles, but so much more than that. The author traces the evolution of Europe's thought, and as such culture. It begins with the 1920s' embrace of democracy and the rise of the minorities issue, continues with the 1930s' rejection of democracy, the rise and fall of the extreme Right in the 1940s, the evolution of the two halves of divided Europe, and on to Europe's post-Communist development.I have read many, many history books; most being the standard list of names and dates, battles and elections. But every once in a while I encounter a fascinating book that goes into depth explaining how things developed and why. This book is definitely one of the latter. I especially enjoyed the inter-war period, which explained so much that was unclear to me; things like the development of the race issue, and the reasons behind the ethnic troubles that rocked so many middle and eastern European countries in that era.This book gave me a lot of food for thought. If you like a book that makes you think, then I highly recommend that you get this one. It is a fascinating and highly informative look at post World War One Europe.

In "Dark Continent" Mark Mazower has turned a bright light onto the frequently murky field of European politics. While by no means a comprehensive review of either 20th Century Europe, or even its politics, "Dark Continent" thoroughly examines the nature of the modern European state. At its most fundamental level, "Dark Continent" takes as its thesis that the view of the modern European state as naturally democratic is definitively false.It is perhaps obvious that Europe has been dominated by totalitarian regimes, whether fascist or communist, during the 20th Century. What is perhaps less obvious is the degree of intrusion which supposedly enlightened governments inflict on their populations. He correctly points out that socialism in its varied forms has frequently been (and continues to be) an excuse for greater government control.Ultimately he shatters the myth of a tendency towards European democracy and freedom. While Nazism and the USSR serve as overt reminders of this fact, it is the less obvious examples that drive his point home. By way of conclusion, he does not dismiss the European Union out of hand, but argues strongly that it is in no way a result of an evolutionary process. In other words, there is nothing in modern European history that indicates that it was either foreordained or that it is guaranteed to succeed."Dark Continent" is a remarkable book that should be read for two interrelated reasons. The first is that if one assumes a natural benevolence in the political systems of Europe, one can not possibly hope to understand modern European history. On a related note, without a firm grasp of its past, it is impossible to understand what is going on in Europe's present, or to predict what may happen in its future.