Professor Ludlow studied for his undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Oxford before moving on to St Antony's College Oxford to study for his D.Phil. He was then a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford until he joined LSE in 1998.
Professor Ludlow’s main research interests lie in the history of Western Europe since 1945, in particular the historical roots of the integration process and the development of the EU. He recently completed a monograph looking in some detail at Roy Jenkins’ presidency of the European Commission, which was published by Palgrave in April 2016. He also works on the Cold War, and in particular West-West relations during the East-West struggle. In the medium term he plans to write a detailed study of the development of transatlantic relations during the Cold War – and in particular of the way in which the Americans sought to balance their bilateral and multilateral dealings with their Western European allies, and the way in which the European allies jostled for the ear of the Americans. A first taste of this research appeared in his Journal of Cold War Studies article in 2013. But the initial research priority will be a book assessing and analyzing Britain’s 40 plus years as member of the European Community/Union – from beginning until 2016. This will hopefully add depth and perspective to the current debate about Brexit and allow a clearer appreciation of how membership affected both the UK itself and the EC/EU more widely – and hence how both will be altered by the imminent end of this membership.
Other titles: LSE-Columbia University Double MA Degree in International and World History Programe Director
Expertise
Western Europe since 1945, European Integration, Cold War Transatlantic Relations, Britain in the EC/EU
Publications
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Teaching
Professor Piers Ludlow usually teaches the following courses in the Department:
Prof Ludlow is currently on sabbatical and is not teaching.
Robert Marjolin, European civil servant (1948-1967)
Kenichi Odrich
Made in Europe? Economic nationality, Japanese automotive FDI and the influence of British automotive policy on the integration of the European single car market, 1979-1999.
Staying Alive: New Zealand, Britain and European Integration, 1960-85
Benjamin Heckscher (2021)
The Socialist Movement for the United States of Europe: transnational socialism and the launching of the early European institutions
Alexandre Dab (2021)
Going beyond declaratory diplomacy: France, Britain, transatlantic relations, and the European Community’s diplomatic initiative to the Middle East, 1978-1982
Bastiaan Bouwman (2019)
Universal Rights in a Divided World: The Human Rights Engagement of the World Council of Churches from the 1940s to the 1970s
Sandinistas Go Global: Nicaragua and Western Europe, 1977-1990
Engagement and impact
2023
Interview with EU Radio
Professor Ludlow was interviewed for a French based radio station to mark the 50th anniversary of Britain’s entry into the EEC. In it, he sheds important historical light on this strange anniversary.
2022
New piece in the International History blog
Professor Piers Ludlow penned a blog post titled 'Kwarteng, Barber and Europe' for the International History blog in September 2022. In it, he parallels the audacious mini-budget, with its extensive tax cuts and its focus on boosting investment and growth with Anthony Barber’s ill-fated ‘dash for growth’ budget in 1972.
"Solidarity, Sanctions and Misunderstanding: The European Dimension of the Falklands Crisis" discusses the success of foreign policy coordination amongst EC member states during the Falklands crisis. However, despite this success, the support received by Britain did not translate into any increase in British public or elite enthusiasm for European integration.Read more
New pieces by Professor Piers Ludlow
Professor Ludlowwrote a piece for the "Europe and the Rhetoric of Crisis" Forum on H/Soz/Kult. He discusses the basic pattern of the EU’s recurrent flirtation with the numerous disasters which have afflicted it since 2009 and suggests that only by invoking imminent doom can a system as cumbersome and risk-averse as the EU be spurred into action. Read the piece here.
He also wrote a piece in the LSE Brexit Blog: "Britain needs friends in the post-Brexit era. Alienating EU allies would be counter-productive" argues that the discussion underway should heed not only to how we go on doing business with our neighbours and foreign partners, but also to the type of strong and structured political relationship which will maximize the chance of our preserving some say in the way in which Europe develops. Read it here.
2019
EU publication: The European Commission, 1986-2000
Professor Ludlow has co-edited and contributed nine chapters to a new volume on the history of the European Commission, The European Commission, 1986-2000. A total of 52 academics and researchers from more than 30 universities and research centres in Europe, the United States and around 15 countries took part in the drafting of this work. Professor Ludlow’s chapters cover topics on the Commission and other EC/EU institutions, on fraud and the budget, on the Northern Irish PEACE programme and on former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors. The whole volume, released by EU publications, is available to download for free here.
"Did we ever really understand how the EU works?"
Professor Piers Ludlow penned a blog post to the LSE Brexit Blogin June 2019. He argues that the Brexit negotiations have highlighted the superficial understanding of the system acquired by much of the UK political class during the four decades spent inside the system. Find out why here.
2018
BBC Radio 4 documentary
Professor Ludlow contributed to a new BBC Radio 4 documentary named "Death of the Postwar Settlement". The three-episode documentary started airing on 29 October and includes commentary from former Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair, former Foreign Minister of Poland Radek Sikorski and former US Deputy Secretary for Defense Paul Wolfowitz. The documentary discusses why the international order built after 1945 is now in deep trouble. Listen to the full documentary on the BBC iPlayer(UK only).
LSE Brexit blog post
Professor Ludlow co-authored a blog post based on an eventhosted by the Department in June 2018 entitled "British Influence in Brussels: Looking Back and Looking Forward". Britain had far greater influence in Brussels since 1973 than has been recognised. For decades the UK was a driving and liberalising force when it came to the Single Market, enlargement, competition and trade, as well as foreign policy. Professor Ludlow, Sir Jonathan Faull (Kings College London), and Professor Laurent Warlouzet (Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale) outline the story of this significant and widespread British sway over the EU.
2017
On Brexit negotiations
Professor Ludlow contributed a post to the LSE Brexit blog. He argues that Britain is making the same mistake about the EU now as Harold Macmillan did about the European Community in the 1960s. Only if the UK makes major concessions is progress likely to be made. Read his insights on the Brexit negotiations.
Promotion
Dr Piers Ludlow was officially promoted to Professor on 1 August 2017.
The European Community and the Crisies of the 1960slisted in 100 Books by European Parliament
Dr Piers Ludlow’s second book, The European Community and the Crises of the 1960s: Negotiating the Gaullist Challenge(2006), was included in a list drawn up by the European Parliament of the 100 booksthat ought to be read about Europe. See it listed here. The European Community and the Crises of the 1960swas published by Routledge in 2006. The book is a detailed study of the European Community's development between 1963 and 1969, with a special focus on the struggle between France and its EC partners over the purpose, structure and membership of the emerging European Community.
2016
On Brexit Outcome
On 21 October 2016, Dr Piers Ludlow contributed an analysis post to KCL’s UK in a Changing Europe Initiativeblog, entitled "An Elite Problem Too". Dr Ludlow argues that Britain’s political elite, including many of those who voted remain, played a part in the Brexit referendum outcome. Read the full post.
On Brexit for the Politheor
On 29 August 2016, Dr Piers Ludlow was interviewed for the latest issue of Politheor: European Policy Networkon the future of the European project. Dr Ludlow shares his views on European integration, Brexit and why he thinks that "Brexit is neither the first nor the worst crisis that the EU has confronted". Read the interview.
LSE Excellence in Education Awards
In June 2016, Dr Piers Ludlow won an LSE Excellence in Education Awardwith other members of the Department. Designed to support the School’s aspiration of creating ‘a culture where excellence in teaching is valued and rewarded on a level with excellence in research’ (LSE Strategy 2020), the Excellence in Education Awards are made, on the recommendations of Heads of Department, to staff who have demonstrated outstanding teaching contribution and educational leadership in their departments.
Author interview with Dr Piers Ludlow: Portrait of a President
(Palgrave, 2016), he argues that Roy Jenkins brought great talent to Europe’s top job. He played a key role in re-launching European monetary integration, winning the right to attend the new global summits, and smoothing Greece’s path to EC membership. During his tenure as president of the European Commission, Roy Jenkins helped the institution emerge from a period of crisis and laid the foundations for the European Union (EU). In this interview with Peter Carrol for the LSE Review of Books (11 May 2016), Dr Piers Ludlow discusses Jenkins’s legacy in relation to Europe, British politics and how Jenkins’s gregarious personality was both a help and a hindrance in his political career. Read the
