Western Civilization

PAUL R. WAIBEL is Professor of History Emeritus at Belhaven University. He has published numerous articles and reviews in scholarly journals, periodicals, reference works, and anthologies, and is author and co-author of several history texts including Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History and Martin Luther: A Brief Introduction to His Life and Works.

• Preface xiiiAcknowledgements xvPart I Ancient and Classical Civilization: An Overview 11 The Cradle of Civilization 3Birth of Civilization 5Egypt 9Hebrews 15Hebrew Contribution to Western Civilization 17Later Empires 19References 202 The Ancient Greeks and Their World 21Minoan Civilization 22Mycenaean Civilization 23The Dark Ages (c. 1100–800 bc) 25The Archaic Age (c. 800–480 bc) 25Sparta and Athens 27Persian Wars (492–449 bc) 29The Classical Age (c. 480–338 bc) 30The Hellenistic Age (323–31 bc) 32Greek Society 33Women in Greek Society 33Slaves in Greek Society 34Sex in Greek Society 34Greek Philosophy 35The Greek Legacy 38References 393 The Roman World 41Early Republic 42Early Conquest Under the Republic 44Roman Expansion in the East 46Decline of the Republic 47Pax Romana 50Roman Cultural Life 53The Rise of Christianity 54Decline of the Empire 56References 60Part II Europe in the Middle Ages: An Overview 614 The Birth of Europe 63Early Germanic Kingdoms 64Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire 70New Invasions 70Feudalism 72Feudal System 73Manorial System 74Europe’s Neighbors 76Rise of Islam 78References 795 Dawn of the Age of Faith 81Rise of the Papacy 82Rise of Monasticism 84Feudalism and the Church 85Church Renewal 86Crusades 88Feudal Monarchies 92England 93France 96Holy Roman Empire 96References 1006 The High Middle Ages, 1000–1300 101Faith and Reason 102Medieval Synthesis 108Medieval Model of the Universe 109Medieval Art and Literature 111Late Middle Ages, 1300–1500 112Famine 112Plague 113Hundred Years’ War, 1337–1453 115References 118Part III Birth of Modern Europe: An Overview 1197 The Renaissance and Reformation 121Renaissance Italy 121Renaissance Humanism 125Leading Italian Humanists 127Northern Renaissance 130Leading Christian Humanists 131Renaissance Art and Culture 132Protestant Reformation 133Background133Mainline and Radical Reformation 136Martin Luther 136Huldrich Zwingli 137John Calvin 137Reformation in England 138Catholic Reformation 139Conflicts among the Protestant Reformers 140Assessment 141References 1428 New Horizons 143Rise of the Nation]States 144Spain 144France 145England 147Holy Roman Empire 150Exploration and Discovery 151Scientific Revolution 154From Copernicus to Newton 156Bacon and Descartes 159Significance of the Scientific Revolution 161References 1629 Age of Enlightenment and Revolution 163Enlightenment 164Enlightenment Political Theory 166Social Contract Theorists 167Thomas Hobbes 167John Locke 168Jean]Jacques Rousseau 169Montesquieu 170Enlightened Despotism 170French Revolution and Napoleon 171Background 171Moderate Phase, 1789–1791 173Radical Phase, 1792–1794 175End of the Terror and Return of the Moderates, 1794–1799 176Napoleonic Period, 1799–1815 177Enlightened Despot 178Empire 180References 183Part IV Nineteenth Century: An Overview 18510 Europe's Great Powers in the Nineteenth Century 187Vienna Congress 188Concert System 190Latin America, Britain, and the United States 192Greek War for Independence 192Decembrist Revolt 193Revolutions of 1830–1832 194Revolutions of 1848 195France 196Germany 198Austria 199Rome 200Why the Revolutions Failed 201Unification of Italy and Germany 202Italy 202Germany 203Paris Commune 206References 20711 Industrial Revolution 209Origins 210A Second Industrial Revolution 214Free Trade 215Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society 216Child Labor 217Women 219Urbanization 220Responses to Industrialization 221Early Reform Efforts 223Marxism and the Working Class 225Marxism’s Appeal 227Orthodoxy and Revision 228Socialism in Britain 229Anarchism 229References 23012 Nineteenth-Century Intellect and Culture 231Romanticism 232Romantic Revolt and Immanuel Kant's Idealism 235A Second Scientific Revolution 236Darwin and Evolution 237Reaction to Darwin's Theory of Evolution 240Christian Response to Darwin 241Social Darwinism 242Positivism 243Realism and Naturalism 244Revolt Against Reason 245Friedrich Nietzsche 246Bergson, Sorel, Freud, and Einstein 247References 24913 Nineteenth]Century Imperialism 251New Imperialism 253Motives 253Colonial Empires 258Scramble for Africa 258India 261China 263Japan 266Southeast Asia 269American Empire 270References 273Part V The Crisis of Western Civilization: An Overview 27514 The Great War: 1914–1918 277Prelude to the Great War 278Explosion in the Balkans 2801914 281War in the Trenches 282Modern Weapons of War 2851915 286Sausage Machine: 1916 287Home Front 289War around the World 291Year of Decision: 1917 292End of the War: 1918 295References 29615 Peace and Disillusionment 297Paris Peace Conference: 1919 298League of Nations 303Disillusionment 305Culture 306Art 307Literature 310Popular Culture 311Social Impact 313References 31416 A Failed Peace: 1919–1939 317Recovery and Prosperity 318Great Britain 319France 322Weimar Germany 323United States 326Soviet Russia 330Italy 332The Great Depression 333American Connection 333Hitler’s Rise to Power 336References 33717 A Second Great War 339Road to War in Europe 340Totalitarianism 341Hitler and the Appeasers: 1933–1939 342Blitzkrieg 345Road to War in the Pacific 349Turning of the Tide 352Banality of Evil 355Holocaust 356No Room 358References 359Part VI The End of Europe: An Overview 36118 Cold War and Recovery: 1945–1962 363Origins of the Cold War 3641946 367Containment 368Cold War in Asia 371China 371Vietnam 373Europe 375To the Brink of Nuclear War 376Postwar Recovery 378Rise of Christian Democracy 380Building the Welfare State 381Postwar America 382References 38319 Cold War: 1962–1991 385The Space Race 386Globalizing the Cold War 387Vietnam War 391Turbulent 1960s 395Paris: 1968 397The Prague Spring: 1968 398Economic Slump 399Recovery 401Revolution of 1989 and End of the Russian Revolution of 1917 401References 40620 A New World Order 409Visions of a New World Order 410War in the Balkans 413Terrorism and War 414Afghanistan 415Iraq 416Arab Spring 417World Migration 417The Search for Meaning in a Multicultural World 419Culture 422Popular Culture 4242000–2019 425Worldwide Internet 425Probing the Limits of Space 426Human Genome Project 427Western Civilization and the World 428References 428Index 431