Western Europe

Explore the rich cultural heritage of the 23 countries that comprise Western Europe, including both members of the European Union, and countries which are not EU members, such as Switzerland. Dornberg provides the necessary background information for comprehending the actions and attitudes of European nations, and in the process creates a valuable companion volume to Central and Eastern Europe. Accompanied by photographs and current and historical maps, the text describes each nation's history, physical geography, and cultural heritage, and discusses in detail the economic, political, and social factors at work in local affairs and foreign relations. Dornberg pays particular attention to the structure and functioning of the European Union and the overall process of European unification.

List of Maps viii
Preface ix
Part 1: The Region 1
CHAPTER 1: Dreams of European Union Coming True 3
CHAPTER 2: A Crazy-Quilt Map 11
CHAPTER 3: The Ethnic Mixing Bowl 15
Multiculturalism and Its Conflicts 17
The Scandinavian Peoples 18
The Germans 19
Peoples of the British Isles 21
The French 21
The Swiss and the Austrians 22
The Italians and the Greeks 22
CHAPTER 4: From Dark Beginnings through the Dark Ages 25
First Peoples of Western Europe 25
Greece and Rome 27
The Germanic Invasions of Europe 30
The Frankish Kingdom 39
The Vikings 43
The Dawn of Nation-States: France, Germany, and England 46
CHAPTER 5: From Medieval and Modern Times 53
Feudalism 53
Papal States and City-States 54
The Crusades 57
The Jews in Medieval Europe 60
Europe, the New World, and the New Dynasties 62
The Renaissance and the Reformation 64
The Thirty Years' War 69
The Eighteenth Century 71
The French Revolution and Napoleon 72
Europe After the Congress of Vienna 78
The Industrial Revolution 79
The Revolutions of 1848 79
The Second Half of the Nineteenth Century 81
World War I 85
Western Europe Between the World Wars 86
World War II 8
CHAPTER 6: The History of European Union: From SPQR to EU 92
Early Proposals for European Unity 92
Churchill and the Council of Europe 93
The European Coal and Steel Community 94
Europe in the 1950s 96
The European Defense Community 94
The Common Market 98
Great Britain and the European Free Trade Association 99
The Development of the European Union 101
The Maastricht Treaty 103
CHAPTER 7: The European Union: Governing without Government 105
The European Parliament 105
The European Council 109
The Council of Ministers 109
The European Commission 110
TheEuropean Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance 111
Other EU Agencies and Institutions 112
CHAPTER 8: Nationalism and Racism: Old Ghosts Return 118
Nationalism 118
Racism: Neo-Nazis and Neo-Fascists 123
CHAPTER 9: Shutting the Doors to Immigration and Crime 129
Immigration 130
Organized Crime 132
CHAPTER 10: Pollution and the Environment: The Money in Muck 135
European Waterways 135
Environmental Regulation 137
Air and Water Pollution 137
Garbage 140
CHAPTER 11: The Economy: A Limping Giant 142
Economic Problems of the 1990s 142
The Technology Gap 143
Wages, Taxes, Debts 144
Mass Unemployment 145
The Social Safety Net 146
CHAPTER 12: Expanding the EU: Eastward, Southward Ho? 149
Part 2: The Countries 153
CHAPTER 13: Scandinavia 155
Scandinavian History 155
Iceland 156
Norway 158
Finland 161
Sweden 163
Denmark 165
CHAPTER 14: The United Kingdom and Ireland 169
United Kingdom 169
Ireland 178
CHAPTER 15: The Benelux Countries 183
The Netherlands 184
Belgium 186
Luxembourg 187
History of the Benelux Region Before 1815 191
The Benelux Nation-States After 1815 191
The Benelux Governments 193
CHAPTER 16: The German-Speaking Countries 195
Germany 195
Austria 198
Switzerland 200
Liechtenstein 201
History of the German-Speaking Countries 202
Governments of the German-Speaking Countries 210
CHAPTER 17: France 213
France 213
Monaco and Andorra 223
CHAPTER 18: The Iberian Peninsula 224
History of the Iberian Peninsula to the Fifteenth Century 224
Spain 227
Portugal 233
CHAPTER 19: Italy and Greece 237
Ancient Greece and Rome 237
Italy 239
Greece 245
Vatican City, San Marino, and Malta 250
Glossary 251
Additional Reading 260
Index 263