The general theme is treated in a broad chronological framework. The geographical context is today's larger Europe. Although limited to this continent, the volume includes and allows direct comparison and connection of the histories, recent and remote, of Eastern and Central Europe as well as the more widely known histories of the so-called Western European countries. Second volume in a series that is part of the CLIOH project ('Refounding Europe: Creating Links, Insights and Overviews for a New History Research').