Europe: Past, Present and Future: Introduction - Tim Blanning

The problems arising from Europe's troubled history was the subject of the fourth seminar in the ‘Future of Europe’ series, which took place at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Law in 2004. The seminar was held on Wednesday 28 January 2004, and discussed the issues of nationalism and the bitterness of past conflicts and how the problems still exist despite the creation of pan-European institutions. The seminar was chaired by Tim Blanning, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge. Speakers included Norman Davies, Historian, Oxford University; Misha Glenny, author and specialist in the history and politics of the Balkans; and Harold James, Professor of History, Princeton University. Each talk is available at the following links: 1) Introduction - Tim Blanning (https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/3137380); 2) Speaker 1 - Harold James (https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/3137391); 3) Speaker 2 - Micha Glenny (https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/3137402); 4) Speaker 3 - Norman Davies (https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/3137413). The ‘Future of Europe Seminars’ addressed the uncertainties that now beset the project of European integration, with the proposal to adopt a written Constitution for Europe and the addition of ten new member states in May 2004. With panels of leading specialists from Europe, the United States and beyond, the seminars provided a unique opportunity to share a wide range of knowledge and experience in understanding European integration and in thinking about its possible futures. The focus of the seminars was not the familiar political debate about Europe. The seminars were designed to debate Europe in a new and different way, as a constitutional, historical and cultural challenge.