Europes postwar periods : 1989 1945 1918 : writing history backwards This book brings together world renowned scholars from the UK Ireland Germany France and elsewhere across mainland Europe to provide a multi authored history of 20th century Europe from the present to the past. It analyses how successive Europes have been constructed in the wake of the key conflicts of the period: the Cold War and the two World Wars. By regressively tracing Europes path back to these pivotal moments as part of a unique methodology Europes Postwar Periods 1989 1945 1918 reveals the defining characteristics of these postwar periods more clearly and at the same time integrates the changes that followed 1989 into a more substantial historical perspective. Martin Conway and the author team address the crucial themes in recent European history on a chapter by chapter basis that gives comprehensive coverage to the whole of the European region for topics like: Borders; States; Empires; Democracy; Justice; Markets; Futures. The volume highlights the fact that Europe was made less by wars than is commonly thought and more by the nature of the settlements international national political economic and social that followed the two World Wars and the Cold War. It is an important innovative text for all students and scholars of 20th century European history