Europe 1914-1989: war, peace, modernity

What you will study

The three key themes of this module are the:

• ways that war was waged in Europe and how this changed the continent
• different forms of peace, which were always more than just an absence of war
• industrial and technical transformation of the whole of Europe.

This module will open up the breathtaking variety of electronic resources on twentieth-century history which have transformed our ability to carry out historical research and scholarship wherever we are. It will teach you the skills of independent study through learning about this period, so you are able to see the big pictures more clearly, and know how to find out more for yourself.

Beginning with the First World War, which marked the end of the old order in Europe, you'll study the war's causes and the war itself. It was a period of technological advances, but inevitably this total war left its mark on every state in the continent, and destroyed many of them. It also enabled some existing socialist and nationalist movements to gain state power for the first time.

During the first half of the interwar period, it appeared that the crises arising from the First World War would be resolved largely within a framework of liberal democracy and internationalism. In the second half, under the stress of the world economic crisis, political systems buckled, and the era became a consciously 'pre-war' one. Attempts in Italy, Germany and Russia to create fundamentally new societies achieved varying degrees of success at the cost of immense human damage. Despite the economic crises, technical and social changes continued throughout the period. You will gain an impression of these changes, as well as the ability to see their inter-relationships.

You'll learn about the causes of the Second World War with an eye on the way that the historiography has developed over the century, and is not resolved even today. You will examine the relationship between war, society and technology via several case studies, including one on the development of penicillin. The history of medicine features in the module to illustrate wider points about social and technical history. The effects of the war on the post-war order will also be considered.

The Cold War was a total war of another kind, and the 'waging of peace' becomes a key theme in the second half of the module. Broadcasters and religions were mobilised in the struggle, as were more conventional socio-economic factors. Soviet-style Communism attempted to provide a coherent alternative to the liberal-democratic mainstream. The year 1968 was a watershed on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The momentum of both the Western European 'golden age' and the Eastern experiment with autarchic socialism had slowed down. In the final part of the Cold War, the West's (slowing) growth and the more compelling social vision that it embodied brought victory in 1989.

During the post-war period, competing Great Powers were (in theory) replaced by allied and integrating blocs. But was the Great Power rivalry really dead?

Entry

This is an OU level 3 module. OU level 3 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at OU levels 1 and 2. They are intended for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably at the OU. You should already have some of the skills appropriate to studying history at this OU level.

This module is open to all students who are suitably prepared. If you intend to study for the BA (Honours) History, you must have first successfully completed either Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500-1780 (A223), The British Isles and the modern world, 1789–1914 (A225), or Exploring history: medieval to modern 1400–1900 (A200) (now discontinued).

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.

Preparatory work

You may find it helpful to do some background reading of the set book, Mark Mazower, Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century.

Study materials

What's included

You'll be provided with four printed module books, each covering one block of study, and have access to a module website, which includes:

• a week-by-week study planner
• module materials
• audio and video content
• assessment guide
• online tutorials and forums.

Computing requirements

• Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It's possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
• Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
• Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
• Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
• Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
• Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You'll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.

They'll help by:

• marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
• providing individual guidance, whether that's for general study skills or specific module content
• guiding you to additional learning resources
• facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we'll make recordings available. While they're not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone. The Accessibility Statement below outlines what studying this module involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.