For the first time, Heinrich August Winkler undertakes in this work to write a long-overdue history of the West. From its beginnings in antiquity to the 20th century, he draws a world-historical arc that encompasses both political history and the history of political ideas with equal authority. The West – since the Age of Discovery, it has been the world-historical measure of all things. It has conquered foreign empires with unparalleled dynamism and subjugated entire continents, explored the Earth to its most remote corners, produced modern natural sciences and the age of technology, and invented human and civil rights, the rule of law, and democracy. However, it has also often betrayed its values towards the non-Western parts of the world, preaching freedom while meaning greed and associating it with capitalism.