The Dark Continent: Europe’s Struggle for Political Coherence
In Dark Continent, Mark Mazower critically analyses the history of the competing political ideologies that shaped twentieth century Europe. In this provocative examination, Mazower highlights a portrait of Europe’s “inter-war experiment with democracy,” where each European state has had its own significant historical events that intertwine and ultimately shaped the continent as a whole. Through exhaustive studies of evolving social, economic and political climates in Europe through World War I, the Russian revolution, The Soviet Union, and up to World War II, Mazower underscores the bloody struggle between political and national ideologies, liberal democracy, communism, and fascism. The outcome for these conflicting political ideologies, for Mazower, was uncertain. Further, each of these ideologies "saw itself destined to remake society, the continent, and the world in a New Order... to define modern Europe" (Mazower 10). The bloodbath from these conflicting ideologies is staggering. World War I, which "mobilized sixty-five million... killed over eight million... left another twenty-one million …show more content…
Through detailed historical analysis of divergent political ideologies Mazower paints a unique image of the rise and fall of liberal democracy, communism and fascism during Europe’s most volatile period, the twentieth century. To support his thesis, which is a controversial challenge to the idea of enduring democracy in Europe, Mazower uses a combination of historical primary documents, and secondary materials that include conflicting opinion academic journals as well as historical textbooks. Overall, Mazower presents compelling argument highlighting the fragility of democracy in twentieth century Europe, yet which challenges a more unified contemporary Europe to
In Dark Continent, Mark Mazower critically analyses the history of the competing political ideologies that shaped twentieth century Europe. In this provocative examination, Mazower highlights a portrait of Europe’s “inter-war experiment with democracy,” where each European state has had its own significant historical events that intertwine and ultimately shaped the continent as a whole. Through exhaustive studies of evolving social, economic and political climates in Europe through World War I, the Russian revolution, The Soviet Union, and up to World War II, Mazower underscores the bloody struggle between political and national ideologies, liberal democracy, communism, and fascism. The outcome for these conflicting political ideologies, for Mazower, was uncertain. Further, each of these ideologies "saw itself destined to remake society, the continent, and the world in a New Order... to define modern Europe" (Mazower 10). The bloodbath from these conflicting ideologies is staggering. World War I, which "mobilized sixty-five million... killed over eight million... left another twenty-one million …show more content…
Through detailed historical analysis of divergent political ideologies Mazower paints a unique image of the rise and fall of liberal democracy, communism and fascism during Europe’s most volatile period, the twentieth century. To support his thesis, which is a controversial challenge to the idea of enduring democracy in Europe, Mazower uses a combination of historical primary documents, and secondary materials that include conflicting opinion academic journals as well as historical textbooks. Overall, Mazower presents compelling argument highlighting the fragility of democracy in twentieth century Europe, yet which challenges a more unified contemporary Europe to