Postwar

Postwar by Tony Judt is an amazing read. Judt intersposes serious history with his thoughtful commentary on that history. He does it in a way that both illuminates the historical material, while incorporating a dry wit that exposes his personal bias. This is not a light read for a weekend or summer vacation. It is for those who are seeking a comprehensive historical exploration of Europe after the Second World War that is readable and often fun.

Often, the history of Europe after World War Two (at least in the U.S.) is relegated to the role it played in the bi-polar conflict of the Cold War. Judt brings to life a much deeper social and political history that is interesting and instructive.

What I found most intersting was the description of how a continent, virtually destroyed by the most destructive war in history, rose from the ashes to create some of the world's finest examples of social democracy. Despite Europe's recent struggles and its ongoing financial crisis, achievements such as social safety nets, shorter work weeks, healthcare provision et. al. are admired around the world. Judt says it best in his own words from the text:

“the welfare states of western Europe were not politically divisive. They were socially re-distributive in general intent (some more than others) but not at all revolutionary—they did not ‘soak the rich’. On the contrary: although the greatest immediate advantage was felt by the poor, the real long-term beneficiaries were the professional and commercial middle class. In many cases they had not previously been eligible for work-related health, unemployment or retirement benefits and had been obliged, before the war, to purchase such services and benefits from the private sector. Now they had full access to them, either free or at low cost. Taken with the state provision of free or subsidized secondary and higher education for their children, this left the salaried professional and white-collar classes with both a better quality of life and more disposable income. Far from dividing the social classes against each other, the European welfare state bound them closer together than ever before, with a common interest in its preservation and defense.”

If you want to know how Europe got from the devestation of the Second World War to what it is today, this book is well worth spending some time getting to know.