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Analyzing 20th Century European Conflicts (Euro100 w:11)

May 28, 2025

Euro100 Week 11 Lecture Notes

Overview

  • Focus: Europe's history in the 20th century.
  • Progression from post-WWI, through WWII, the Cold War, and into the 21st century.

Conceptual Framework

  • Proposition: View the 20th-century wars as one "long war."
    • Analogous to historical wars like the Hundred Years War.
  • Wars Considered:
    1. World War I
    2. World War II
    3. Cold War
    4. Ongoing conflicts, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Key Phases and Ukraine's Role

World War I

  • Imperial Competition: Land empires dissolved (Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian, Ottoman).
  • Ukraine in WWI: Divided between influences (west with Poland, east with Russia), absorbed by Soviet Union post WWI.

World War II

  • Re-Emergence of Empires: Germany as a land empire, Soviet Union's contiguous expansion.
  • Ukraine in WWII:
    • Central to conflict: Suffered invasions from both Germany and Russia.
    • Known as part of the "Bloodlands", heavily affected by Holocaust and Soviet policies.

Cold War

  • Nature: Non-conventional "war" based on nuclear deterrence.
  • Ukraine's Significance:
    • Integral to Soviet Union due to strategic assets like Black Sea Fleet and nuclear silos.
    • Strong Ukrainian nationalism, especially in the west.

Post-Cold War and Modern Era

Fall of the USSR

  • Ukraine's Independence: Declared after the Soviet collapse in 1991.
  • Key Events:
    • 2004 Orange Revolution
    • 2014 Euromaidan Revolution
    • Annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014

Current Conflicts: Ukraine

  • War in Ukraine: Continues to be central in European conflicts.
  • Nuclear Weapons: Ukraine disarmed under guarantees from the US, UK, and Russia.

European Political Landscape

Post-WWI

  • League of Nations: Established post-WWI to maintain peace, largely ineffective.
  • Esperanto: Proposed as a universal diplomatic language.

Post-WWII

  • Division of Germany into East and West.
  • Nuremberg Trials: Held to prosecute Nazi war crimes.
  • Establishment of the UN: Aimed at preventing further global conflicts.
  • Marshall Plan: US aid to rebuild Europe, a missed opportunity for post-Soviet Russia.

Cold War Dynamics

  • NATO and Warsaw Pact: Formed as opposing military alliances.
  • Decolonization: European empires lost colonies, primarily post-WWII.

Rise of Authoritarianism

  • Concerns over modern authoritarian leaders in Europe.
  • Historical parallels to past dictatorships, focus on undermining institutions.

Closing Remarks

  • The European landscape remains dynamic with ongoing issues such as Ukraine's conflict.
  • Predictions are uncertain: The future of Ukraine's war is unpredictable.
  • Historical Trends: Colonial powers, including Russia, historically lose power eventually.