Warfare and Society in Europe, 1898 to the Present examines warfare in Europe from the Fashoda conflict in modern-day Sudan to the recent war in Iraq. The twentieth century was by far the world's most destructive century with two global wars marking the first half of the century and the constant fear of nuclear annihilation haunting the second half.

Throughout, this book treats warfare as a function of larger political, cultural, social and economic issues and includes discussion of:

* the alliances that led to the outbreak of the First World War
* the First World War
* the Second World War
* the increasing role played by the United States in Europe's twentieth century wars
* Eastern European wars such as the Russian Civil War and the Greco-Turkish war
* new technologies and weapons.

Combining a traditional survey of military history with a survey of social issues, Michael S. Neiberg both examines how social changes have impacted the nature of war fighting and how war has shaped the basic patterns of European society.