The origin of
capitalism and modern industrialism—and, not unrelated, the
birthplace of Marxism—modern Europe provided the perfect conditions
for a great number of political revolutions. From the monarchical
terror of the Middle Ages to the mangled Europe of the twenty-first
century, A People’s History of Modern Europe tracks the history of
the continent through the deeds of those whom mainstream history
tries to forget.
Along the way,
William A. Pelz examines the German peasant wars of Thomas Müntzer,
the bourgeoisie revolutions of the eighteenth century, the rise of
the industrial worker in England, the turbulent journey of the
Russian Soviets, the role of the European working class throughout
the Cold War, and the revolutionary students in 1968. He then brings
his story to the present day, where we continue to fight to forge an
alternative to a heartless and often barbaric economic system.
As Germany and
Greece argue over who owes what, with the very idea of Europe
crumbling around them, Pelz’s accessible, provocative history could
not be timelier. Sure to resonate with fans of books like Howard
Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, this people’s
history sweeps away the tired platitudes of the privileged and
provides an opportunity to understand the story of Europe from the
ground up.