Is there a sharp dividing line separating Europe into "East" and "West"? This volume brings together scholars to examine the evolution of the conception of Europe over the two centuries since the French Revolution.

Is there a sharp dividing line that separates Europe into 'East' and 'West'? This volume brings together prominent scholars from the United States, Canada, France, Poland, and Russia to examine the evolution of the concept of Europe in the two centuries between the French Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Inspired by the ideas of Martin Malia, the contributors take a flexible view of the 'cultural gradient'_the emergence, interaction, and reception of ideas across Europe.