This period saw the rise of further dictatorships, notably Nazi Germany, which in turn became the cause of World War II and the Holocaust.

The collapse of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and Russian monarchies led to large swathes of Central and Eastern Europe being subject to conflicting territorial claims.

Whereas most right-wing regimes essentially aimed "to conserve the existing social order", fascism sought to transform society and mobilise the whole population to its cause.

Writing in The Guardian, Tim Bouverie wrote that Kershaw "has achieved the remarkable feat of drawing together and comparing the histories of the entire continent, during its most turbulent years, into one highly readable volume.

"[3] Kirkus Reviews described the book as "An ambitious, dense, sometimes-difficult treatment of a vast topic" although it felt that his coverage of the aftermath of World War II was "less successful".