Writing the History of 20th Century Europe

In 1914 a civilization that had blandly assumed itself to be a model for the rest of the world had collapsed into a savagery beyond any comparison. In 1939 Europeans initiated a second conflict that managed to be even worse, a war in which the killing of civilians was central and which culminated in the Holocaust. We are delighted to welcome one of Britain’s greatest historians to discuss what it meant for the Europeans who initiated and lived through such fearful times. The episode was recorded at Printworks, Dublin Castle, on 1st October 2017.


Sir Ian Kershaw’s work has chiefly focused on the social history of 20th century Germany. He is regarded by many as one of the world’s leading experts on the Third Reich, and is particularly noted for his biographies of Hitler.


Robert Gerwarth is Professor of Modern History at UCD.


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