Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The article explores the reasons behind the collapse of liberal Europe in the 20th century, arguing that it was a necessary consequence of the core conflict between imperialism and social democracy. Imperialism undermined the foundations of social democracy by prioritizing expansion and war, leading to economic competition and irreconcilable conflicts among European nations. This competition eroded social democratic institutions, intensified the conflict between socialism and capitalism, and ultimately led to the demise of European democracy. The rise of fascism became an inevitable outcome as it offered a third option in the conflict between imperialism and socialism, appealing to those disillusioned with democracy and freedom. The article concludes that the demise of liberal Europe was due to the conflict between imperialism and socialism, which shattered the traditional democratic framework and led to the rise of fascism.
DOI: 10.54097/v41efz30
Author: Bowen Liu
Institution: Syracuse University
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4407854426