Europe: the Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present PDF Book

EUROPE: THE STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY, 1453 TO THE PRESENT PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

No doubt partly that's due to the sheer extent of my ignorance going in, and my dodgy memory, but still. Just register and complete your career summary. Article Contents. Quotes from Europe: The Strug Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A little flat and unfocused at times it nonetheless does what it sets out to. His narrative of the World Wars and the Cold War is just fantastic. It is one of the best history books I have ever read as it ties all the others together and makes a common focus to the over-all foreign policy implicit in each of them - the control of Central Europe, in particular that regions which eventually became Germany. The first 3 or 4 chapters were a bit difficult to understand, but then the last 4 were easy because I have prior knowledge in the events. Simms is a believer in the realist paradigm in which states are always trying to prevent others from becoming the hedgemon by balancing against others in realpolitik. It has an argument, a carefully trained perspective, and I'm sure anyb 'The Soviet Union, in short, did not have a military-industrial complex like the United States, it was a military- industrial complex. Purdue is impressed by a dazzling analysis of the human capacity for violence and how it has moulded our lives. Register to continue Get a month's unlimited access to THE content online. The book is billed as telling the story from to the present. It is a very interesting book to read at the current troubled times over Europe. A comprehensive introduction, but very dense. Grand explanations become less clear cut as more details or counterexamples are introduced. Q; What is the most important part of Europe over which control must be exerted to maintain peace, democracy and prosperity? The most striking, disappointing, though not unique aspect of this book is it's focus on history through the lens of war not culture, trade, manufacturing, economies, etc. However, if that is my only criticism of this book, I accept that it is plausibly puerile. This principle, formulated by Taylor nearly 60 years ago, has been taken rather too much to heart by Brendan Simms , both in his earlier book The Struggle for Mastery in Germany , published in , and now in this ambitious new survey. A lot of learning can be a dangerous thing. Even though it is massively lopsided towards the final years, some areas are list-like and don't leave much impression or understanding. Oxford Academic. The writing is not without its difficulties. Like I said a quibble, and it only slightly detracted from my enjoyment of the book. There are no real synonyms for the word geopolitic. Brendan Simms, a professor at the University of Cambridge, has written comprehensive history of the Western World from the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in up to the present. His book purports to demonstrate these points through a detailed chronological narrative from the fall of Constantinople to the present day. No trivia or quizzes yet. They were also determined to prevent the re-emergence of German power. It is a magnificent read, as long as you take it slowly. Related Articles. Advanced Search. His account of the growing sense of German nationalism which culminated in the Wars of Unification between and concludes with the observation that with the mastery of Germany assured, a new phase in the struggle for European supremacy was about to begin. After all, the struggle for supremacy was not a fight over a whole continent, but one over the heart of Europe. Keep in mind that in the run up to World War I, the cataclysm that started off Europe's horrific 20th century, the European people marched eagerly off to war. Simms studied at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected a scholar in history in , before completing his doctoral dissertation, Anglo-Prussian relations, The Napoleonic Threat, at Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Tim Blanning in Simms's is pushing the thesis that Germany by dint of its central position has been central to European history and all the more so when it was fragmented and also that foreign policy trumps domestic policy to the extent that the English Civil War was a result of the Stuarts' failure to sufficiently support Protestants in the low countries. After a short prologue on medieval Europe, the author sets off the history proper with the advent of modern times. A Fellow of Peterhouse, he lectures and leads seminars on international history since The pacification of Europe, accomplished at tremendous cost and existential risk to human civilization is one of mankind's greatest victories. I would have enjoyed more coverage of those earlier years, that birthed the nation-state system, and so much of what we consider modern Europe. Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present Writer

To ask other readers questions about Europe , please sign up. Over the past five centuries, a rotating cast of kings, conquerors, presidents, and dictators have set their sights on the European heartland, desperate to seize this pivotal area or at least prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Want to Read saving…. British foreign policy in the 19th century was dominated by the perceived threat from Russia and France; Germany was not regarded as very important until well after This is how Simms closes the book, referring to the present day: "In short, at the start of the third decade of the second millennium, [sic, he ain't talking about ] Europeans were no less preoccupied by how the vital space at the heart of the continent was to be organized than they had been in times gone by. It has an argument, a carefully trained perspective, and I'm sure anybody would learn a great deal from it, while having some moments of real pleasure along the way. Google Scholar. His belief in what he calls "the primacy of foreign policy" leads Simms into some very strange assertions indeed. To be honest it has taken me ages to read it; I can manage about three pages at a time before my head swims and I have to put it down. After a short prologue on medieval Europe, the author sets off the history proper with the advent of modern times. A little flat and unfocused at times it nonetheless does what it sets out to. His book is also immensely entertaining as well as instructive. An immersive story of the last years of European conflicts and interlaced events. Even tough the author seems a bit "obsessed" by the German role in most of the important developments of recent history, I strongly believe this remains an amazing read. Weighing in at a hefty pages, it oddly feels slim in its ability to cover nearly years of history through engaging writing and a consistent thematic vision. Thank the gods for my habit of reading more than one book at a time; there have been occasions when I became so bogged down in European geopolitics that I wanted to give up reading this. Brendan Simms provides a good overview of the history of Europe of the last years, mainly from a geopolitical perspective, with Germany right at the centre of his narrative. He acknowledges it with one sentence. A: Germany but we have known this five hundred years. More on: Europe. Sign in now. Advanced Search. Showing May 03, Phil Eaton rated it really liked it Shelves: history-to-read. The book is billed as telling the story from to the present. Welcome back. See all jobs. I leafed through this as a reminder of events and people that I had forgotten since undergrad, and it did the job. The copy I read was some pages making it almost " years in pages. Neutral Recommendation. Dec 27, Zach rated it really liked it Shelves: history. Select Format Select format. England and Russia are on the peripherary throughout. Hardcover , pages. Overall an ambitious project, but there are better books of European history that can attract the casual fan to the topic. It is one of the best history books I have ever read as it ties all the others together and makes a common focus to the over-all foreign policy implicit in each of them - the control of Central Europe, in particular that regions which eventually became Germany. Preview — Europe by Brendan Simms. There are even instances of elementary mistakes which even a total novice like me can spot - like referring to the Dutch 'Estates General', which is the French term, or saying that Baldwin was the leader of the opposition in His account of the growing sense of German nationalism which culminated in the Wars of Unification between and concludes with the observation that with the mastery of Germany assured, a new phase in the struggle for European supremacy was about to begin. Q; What is the most important part of Europe over which control must be exerted to maintain peace, democracy and prosperity? He argues for example that: Germany was the cause of the great depression rather than a victim based on an argument around an Austrian bank the French allowed to fail to thwart a German-Austrian union and which tipped the US over the edge ; that the English Civil war was fought because Charles was seen as not protecting German princes. Citing articles via Google Scholar. This book is a bird's eye view of European history from As with Ian Morris's "War: What is it good for? From Charles V and Napoleon to Bismarck and Cromwell, from Hitler and Stalin to Roosevelt and Gorbachev, nearly all the key power players of modern history have staked their titanic visions on this vital swath of land. Whoever controls the core of Europe controls the entire continent, and whoever controls Europe can dominate the world. Volume This is an excellent revision and summing up of European geopolitics in the last years. Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present Reviews

It is also Ger Brendan Simms provides a good overview of the history of Europe of the last years, mainly from a geopolitical perspective, with Germany right at the centre of his narrative. The trigger for the emancipation of the serfs in Prussia and Russia may have been defeat in war, but in practice, peasant revolts from below were bringing it about anyway. See all jobs. A: Germany but we have known this five hundred years. Feb 27, A Shaskan rated it it was ok Shelves: did-not-want-to-finish. It has an argument, a carefully trained perspective, and I'm sure anybody would learn a great deal from it, while having some moments of real pleasure along the way. Other Editions Ultimately, as one goes through one dogmatic assertion after another, one begins to get the impression that it's not mainly about European history at all; it's a tract for the times. May 06, Robert rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fiction. Brendan Simms. War games … British and French troops clash in a battle of Waterloo re-enactment. There are two major theses in this book. Broad trade volume of history from to the present, but really emphasizing the 19th century and after. Details if other :. Focusing on Central Europe as the fulcrum of European struggle for dominance and hegemony, this account looks at both strategic-geopolitical and ideological reasons and conditions from the Renaissance through the Reformations, revolutions and world wars to postwar modernity. This is a very good book about the geopolitics of Europe from the fall of Constantinople until The five centuries covered enable an informed perspective over the subject and a more weighed balance of the evolution, distinguishing fads from real trends. I would have also loved a more thorough approach of contemporary issues. Even at a micro-level, the same primacy applied. Moreover, by his sole reliance on realpolitik as a theory, he neglects other forces that could at times be even more dominant such as social, economic, technological, cultural etc. Our sober guide to history's greatest horrors and triumphs disappears. Download all slides. Though individuals never lived in this state of nature, the Great Powers of Europe have always done so. For the first part of this book, the active powers deliberately prevent anyone, including the Germans, from controlling Germany, in order to maintain the balance. The primacy of Germany, both geographically and metaphorically, is critical to all that the book discusses but I felt that Simms carries it a little too far at times. Stretching from the Low Countries through Germany and into the North Italian plain, this relatively compact zone has historically been the richest and most productive on earth. Thank the gods for my habit of reading more than one book at a time; there have been occasions when I became so bogged down in European geopolitics that I wanted to give up reading this. Here let me quote a bit: " I would have perhaps forgiven this unfortunately common affliction if it weren't for the ridiculousness of the book's final sentences. Readers also enjoyed. The There are two major theses in this book. His unifying The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were driven as much by the pursuit of a geopolitical agenda centred on Germany as they were by ideology. There is a clear geographical focus here too. The rest of the European nations are mentioned from time to time. Grand explanations become less clear cut as more details or counterexamples are introduced.

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It is also Germany that lies at the centre of the European Union, binding its members together or pushing them apart. Related articles in Google Scholar. Skip to main content. Email alerts Article activity alert. Before my massi A lot of learning can be a dangerous thing. However, the main thread running through the book is the thesis that the German-speaking lands of central Europe are the key to the balance of power on the continent and in the wider world. The first 3 or 4 chapters were a bit difficult to understand, but then the last 4 were easy because I have prior knowledge in the events. I think this has to do not with the subject material, but the way in which it's told, i. Brendan Simms. The writing is not without its difficulties. Civil liberties were crushed in Britain during the Napoleonic wars, not expanded. It's probably the shortest sentence in the book. Even tough the author seems a bit "obsessed" by the German role in most of the important developments of recent history, I strongly believe this remains an amazing read. Jan 31, K rated it liked it Shelves: nonfiction , history. Simms is a believer in the realist paradigm in which states are always trying to prevent others from becoming the hedgemon by balancing against others in realpolitik. And throughout, paragraphs begin with either 'The real issue was not [insert event], but Germany and the whole balance of power', or 'This international development had a profound effect on domestic politics in many countries' - I like repetition of ideas because it ingrains the essential message of such a long book, and shows self-confidence. If so, I suspect that is what is happening for the parts that I don't know so well. From Charles V and Napoleon to Bismarck and Cromwell, from Hitler and Stalin to Roosevelt and Gorbachev, nearly all the key power players of modern history have staked their titanic visions on this vital swath of land. I admit this sounds silly, and probably is, but when one word is used repeatedly it becomes jarring and disruptive. His account of the growing sense of German nationalism which culminated in the Wars of Unification between and concludes with the observation that with the mastery of Germany assured, a new phase in the struggle for European supremacy was about to begin. https://files8.webydo.com/9585937/UploadedFiles/220ED727-93EC-9266-48A4-32D8E4B12A53.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9585870/UploadedFiles/908AFCF6-FC1E-127F-935D-78E942AD1B5A.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9585729/UploadedFiles/11AC8FBF-C232-BE90-5635-CD8EBDB929C3.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ecc4310b-a210-4b09-84d0-0fff62cf5149/body-therapy-and-facial-work-electrical-treatm.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/b3b19031-1c62-44b6-900b-4b2f6d83939d/rescuing-the-bible-from-fundamentalism-726.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/8979c812-fc96-4862-99f8-423149cc369c/de-tenlastelegging-als-grondslag-voor-de-recht.pdf