When the narrow majority of the British voted to leave the EU in a referendum in 2016, not only the citizens of neighbouring European countries shook their heads. Why did a nation believe in the age of international interdependence of its economy and politics that it could single-handedly achieve a renewed ascent into the circle of great powers by gaining national sovereignty? Volker Berghahn places Brexit in a long-term historical development, without which the traditions and emotions that surfaced in the heated debate of the last four years cannot be understood. It shows that the roots of Brexit lie in the two world wars triggered by Germany and the resulting economic and political decline of Great Britain in the 20th century.