It was interesting to revisit and read Postwar in 2016, more than a decade since its original publication, amidst Brexit, the rise of right wing nationalism across the continent, etc.
When the book came out ~2005/06, there was a lot of talk about the success of the EU 60 years after WW2:
1. The rapid expansion of the European Union: 10 countries, mainly from the former Soviet bloc, joined in 2004 and it seemed the spread of liberal democracy and reform was on the rise
2. Turkey was in the process of increasing civilian control over its army, liberalizing its justice system, abolishing the death penalty, etc. in a bid to join the EU
More than a decade since the book was published, the tide appears to have turned, and the EU is facing more headwinds and uncertainty. But Tony Judt's superb account of Europe after 1945 is still the best book around to help make sense of what's happened in Europe after WW2. At almost 800 pages and packed with facts and figures, it's definitely an intense book. But Judt's simple yet elegant prose and crisp writing keeps the pages turning. Some of his statistics will boggle the mind (only one hospital in liberated Warsaw to treat 90,000 people; 87,000 women raped in Vienna in 3 weeks by the red army)
Judt writes that the war in Europe did not really end in 1945. More than 36 million Europeans died between 39 and 45 because of the war. Many more millions were displaced from their homes, villages and cities by Hitler and Stalin. Even after Germany's defeat, the continent continued to be bloodied with violent retribution, purges and killings in places like Greece and Yugoslavia. Not only does the war not end by 45, but neither does the active persecution of Jews, including many murdered by Polish pogroms. Moreover, Judt believes that many of the other offenders such as Austria get away lightly, leaving Germany to bear the brunt of the blame for WW2. Judt brings attention to the phenomenon of "Waldheimer's disease" -- the inability to recollect one's actions during WW2, named after Kurt Waldheim, who went on to serve as the PM of Austria.
Often overlooked, especially in Continental Europe, is the significance of the Marshall Plan - a $200 billion "investment" on Western Europe to help restore its infrastructure, housing, etc. Judt goes on to write that all this helped Europe create economic and public policy models that have now become the envy of the world, such as a robust social safely net, affordable healthcare, etc. On the flip side, the aging population, low birth rates, rampant immigration, the unsustainable welfare models, etc. are noted as serious challenges.
Judt has no sacred cows and spares no one. For instance, he disabuses the reader of the notion that America singlehandedly defeated communism. In fact, the best parts of the book are Judt's country-by-country blow-by-blow account of how communism was actually defeated. No punches are held back as he describes postwar Britain as a dirty, cold and bankrupt land, including a complete takedown of PM Anthony Eden and co. for the Suez affair.
One of the key takeaways from Postwar is that despite the human devastation and the destruction caused by WWII, it's remarkable that Western Europe has managed to rebound and exist peacefully, developing institutions and policies that ensure that such history never repeats itself and hateful ideologies do not manifest in large-scale violence.
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