Eastern Europe 1945-1969 : from Stalinism to stagnation / Ben Fowkes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fowkes, Ben.

Series:

Seminar studies in history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Europe, Eastern--Politics and government--1945-1989.

Europe, Eastern.

Eastern Europe.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xv, 164 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Harlow, England ; New York : Longman, 2000.

Summary:

Here is an essential short guide to the history of Eastern Europe under the early decades of communist rule. The study explores the communists attempt to transpose a uniform economic and social system across the region copied from the Soviet model. Dr Fowkes shows how this did not always succeed and he reveals the local variations which became more pronounced after the death of Stalin. The book includes detailed analysis of the dramatic events in Poland and Hungary and in the assessment section there is a useful summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the communist model in its heyday. It is an illuminating study, full of maps and photographs as well as over 30 documents (most previously unavailable in English) which brings this complex subject alive. and helps us to understand the special conditions the people of the region have faced in catching up with the West both in terms of material prosperity and more recently in the establishment of democratic political systems

Contents:

The International Context 3

The Burden of History 4

The Communist Parties of Eastern Europe and the Wartime Victory of the Allies 8

Part 2 Analysis 15

2. The Seizure of Power 17

Reasons for the Communists' Success 17

Stalin's Aims and Methods 22

The Process of Gaining Power 24

The Yugoslav Exception 26

The Defeated Side 31

3. The Imposition of the Stalinist System 33

The Phase of Reconstruction 33

The Turning-point of 1947 37

4. Stalin's System at its Height 41

The Politics of Stalinism in Eastern Europe 41

Economic Objectives and Social Changes 42

The Texture of Life and Thought 46

The Purges 49

Pressure from Outside: Cominform and Comecon 53

5. De-Stalinization and the Critical Year of 1956 56

Hungary in 1956: A Crisis out of Control 57

Poland in 1956: A Crisis Mastered 61

6. A Decade of Consolidation 64

Divergent Developments 64

The Years of Consolidation 71

Czechoslovakia in 1968: The Last Chance to Reform 76

Part 3 Assessment 83

7. Achievements and Failures 85

Equality and Inequality 85

Educational Progress 88

Health 89

Standard of Living 90

Economic Performance 90

The Balance Sheet of History 92.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-153) and index.

ISBN:

0582326931

OCLC:

43095888