"Toward a New Europe and the Twenty-first century" Study Notes

During the past half century, the United States has exerted enormous influence on Europe and most especially Western Europe. After the war, the US government, through the Marshall Plan, rebuilt the Western European economies. The term Americanization, which has appeared in European publications, refers in part to this economic and military influence, but it also refers to concerns about cultural loss. American banks and other financial institutions as well as law firms often have European …

…however, the conflict is ethnic and as such highlights the potential for violent ethnic conflict within the former Soviet Union. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union has presented Europe with new problems and opportunities. The opportunities include the possibility of establishing democratic governments and market economies throughout the region. They also include the restoration of civil liberties in countries where they have not been known for over half a century.