COMPARISON, TRANSFER AND INTERFERENCE, OR HOW THE HISTORY OF MODERN EUROPE IS BEING WRITTEN TODAY?

Abstract

Author examines the historical concepts that assume the unity of modern European history basing on the recognition of the unity of its historical experience. The whole variety of systematic approaches towards European history, starting from the transposition of the main motives of narrative history of the XIX century to the modern theories of civil society, is being scrutinized. Focusing on the historical experience of multi-ethnic states of the XIX century, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Russian, Ottoman and British empires, with with regard to the European history of the mono-ethnic state, the author concludes that European history has always been somewhere between its domestic and external solutions issues. There are six statements, the author insists, that respond to the basic question: how should the history of modern Europe be written nowadays in order to overcome previous stereotypes? The general assertion of the issue is that the modern historiography of Europe should become rather supranational and even somewhat transcultural.