Once the region of geopolitical domination, Europe after World War II was forced to rebuild and redefine its place in a rapidly shifting world. This course examines the change in Europe's position as it contended with the Cold War's series of freezes and thaws; economic, political and social developments, such as the student revolts of the 1960s; and the dramatic decade of the 1980s with Thatcherism, Gorbachev, the fall of the Berlin Wall and communism. Topics analyzed include modern leadership in Germany, Great Britain and France; the Soviet Union from Stalin through its collapse; Eastern Europe's transition from communism, and the European Union. We will conclude by examining Europe's current position in the contemporary world.