This historical panel seeks to assess how European welfare states took form, in part, as a means to address specific crises and how they have remained resilient in the face of crisis, whether perceived or genuine. It therefore charts how social-security provisions were adopted as a means to cope with the early problems of industrialisation in the nineteenth century; how they were used as an attempt to remain resilient in the face of declining population numbers after 1945; and, how European welfare states have survived the recent economic crisis of 2008. The papers therefore assess resilience during various critical junctures in the history of European welfare states. Moreover, through a case study of social provision in France and Algeria during decolonization, as well as a comment that draws on British imperial experiences of child welfare, the papers in this panel also consider whether and how European welfare regimes have remained resilient when transported to imperial and postcolonial outposts. Not least, several of the papers reflect on the experiences of resilience amongst the individuals involved in administering and benefiting from these social provisions. By bringing together these diverse strands of research, the panel aims to shed new light on the endurance and flexibility of European welfare states.