摘要：How should Europe during the second half of the 20th century be conceptualised? As decline? As re-establishment and progress? Furthermore, what is Europe? These big questions constitute the point of departure of Hartmut Kaelble’s impressive social history of Europe since 1945. Kaelble not only refines social macro perspectives on Europe, which so far only Göran Therborn has developed – in his path-breaking “European Modernity and beyond. The Trajectory of European Societies 1945–2000” (London 1995) [1] –, but also goes beyond Therborn. There are common points with another recent macro history of Europe, Tony Judt’s “Postwar. A History of Europe Since 1945” (London 2005) [2] , but the difference is obvious: Judt’s focus is on the political history of the European integration and unification project after World War II, whereas Kaelble focuses on European social history. He goes beyond the EEC/EU in time as well as space. Kaelble does not choose between Europe as decline and as progress but combines these perspectives. Neither does he choose between convergence and divergence of the European diversity. He combines these views by discerning different trends for different social fields.
关键词：Bo Stråth, Academy of Finland Distinguished Chair in Nordic, European and World History, University of Helsinki
