Even though it ended seven decades ago, Europe is still adjusting to the consequences of World War II.  The war ended Europe's reign as the major influence on the globe.  For the first forty-six years after Germany's surrender, the western powers were caught between the vice of the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. during the Cold War. 

     With the break up of the Soviet Union, most of Western Europe joined forces economically in the European Union.  Meanwhile, economic, political, and military power has spread across the planet.  For the first time, countries like the U.S., China, India, and Japan project power well beyond their borders.

     Europe is also currently faced with a changing population.  Immigration has changed the social dynamic on the continent.  European powers are faced with the threat of terrorism, the challenges of a global economy, and trying to find their place in a world they once dominated.  The next few decades promise to be interesting.