Chapters

1. History’s Story
2. Wanderers and Settlers: The Ancient Middle East to 400 B.C.
3. The Chosen People: Hebrews and Jews, 2000 B.C. to A.D. 135
4. Trial of the Hellenes: The Ancient Greeks, 1200 B.C. to A.D. 146
5. Imperium Romanum: The Romans, 753 B.C. to A.D. 300
6. The Revolutionary Rabbi: Christianity, the Roman Empire, and Islam, 4 B.C. to A.D. 1453
7. From Old Rome to the New West: The Early Middle Ages, A.D. 500 to 1000
8. The Medieval Mêlée: The High and Later Middle Ages, 1000 to 1500
9. Making the Modern World: The Renaissance and Reformation, 1400 to 1648
10. Liberation of Mind and Body: Early Modern Europe, 1543 to 1815
11. Mastery of the Machine: The Industrial Revolution, 1764 to 1914
12. The Westerner’s Burden: Imperialism and Nationalism, 1810 to 1918
13. Rejections of Democracy: The InterWar Years and World War II, 1917 to 1945
14. A World Divided: The Early Cold War, 1945 to 1980
15. Into the Future: The Contemporary Era, 1980 to the Present

• Epilogue: Why Western Civilization?

Chapter 15

Into the Future: The Contemporary Era, 1980 to the Present

• Link to Study Guide for this chapter
• Link to Primary Sources for this chapter
• Link to Art History for this chapter
• Link to Links to the Web for this chapter

A Surprise Ending
The Cold War ceased suddenly and unexpectedly.

Searching for Stability
The creation of the European Union during and after the Cold War brought peace and prosperity to much of Europe.

An Unexpected Revival
Nationalism in the Post-Cold War era revived old and creates new conflicts.

Haves and Cannots
Economic troubles increased in industrialized nations.

Values of Violence
Despite hopes for peace dividends, conflicts broke out over ethnic identity and political ideology.