A European History of Michael Howard’s War in European History

Abstract

Michael Howard’s War in European History, published in 1976, was one of his most influential works. This article traces its reception in France, Italy and West Germany, contextualising the book within the post-Second World War development of military history in those countries. The ‘war and society’ approach for which Howard is celebrated developed along distinctive lines in each, so international scholars focused on different aspects of the book. War in European History was also used by Umberto Eco to explore the relationship between force and power. His insights offer fresh ways to examine more recent developments in the field of military history.