In this lively and ambitious book, James Sheehan charts what is perhaps the most radical shift in Europe's history: its transformation from war-torn battlefield to peaceful, prosperous society. For centuries, war was Europe's defining narrative, affecting every aspect of political, social, and cultural life. But, after World War II, Europe began to re-imagine statehood, rejecting ballooning defense budgets in favor of material well-being, social stability, and economic growth. "Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?" reveals how and why this happened, and what it means for America and the rest of the world. With remarkable insight and clarity, Sheehan covers the major intellectual and political events in Europe over the past one hundred years, from the pacifist and militarist movements of the early twentieth century and two catastrophic world wars to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the heated debate over Iraq. This authoritative history provides much-needed context for understanding the fractured era in which we live.

Prologue: War and peace in the twentieth century / Part I. Living in peace, preparing for war, 1900-1914. "Without war, there would be no state" -- Pacifism and militarism -- Europeans in a violent world / Part II. A world made by war, 1914-1945. War and revolution -- The twenty-year truce -- The last European war / Part III. States without war. The foundations of the postwar world -- The rise of the civilian state -- Why Europe will not become a superpower / Epilogue: The future of the civilian state.