Transregional versus National Perspectives on Contemporary Central European History Studies on the Building of Nation-States and Their Cooperation in the 20th and 21st Century Michal Vit, Andreas Umland, Magdalena M. Baran

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Vit, Michal, Editor.

Umland, Andreas, Editor.

Baran, Magdalena M., Editor.

Series:

Soviet and post-Soviet politics and society ; Volume 170.

Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Central Europe.

20th century.

History.

Local Subjects:

Central Europe.

20th century.

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (467 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Hannover ibidem 2017

Biography/History:

Andreas Umland, M.Phil. (Oxford), Dr.Phil. (FU Berlin), Ph.D. (Cambridge), Research Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs in Stockholm, Senior Expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future in Kyiv, and Associate Professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Dr. Michal Vít is a research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy at Prague. Previously he was associated with the Institute for European Policy at Berlin and at International Institute of Political Science at Masaryk University in Brno. Dr. Magdalena M. Baran is a historian of ideas, philosopher, and columnist. She studied at the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Cracow and the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. She is on the editorial board of the quarterly Liberté! as well as a co-founder of the weekly Kultura Liberalna, and writes for, among others, Res Publica Nowa and Visegrad Insight.

Summary:

This volume compares different regional perspectives on the national and democracy-building aims of individual states. It confronts discourses about national states to regional perspectives on the past as well as the current political and social landscape. Why are we observing calls for national identity right now? What are the roots of this development? How can a Central European identity be shaped when national perspectives are prevalent? The book’s first part analyses social and political processes that shaped nation-states in the Central European region and shows divergent trends of individual states when it comes to defining a regional approach of the Visegrád Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary = V4). The second part focuses on key personalities of the 20th century history of individual V4 countries in the light of their perception in the neighbouring states and how they shaped national states as well as identities after the end of World War II. Similar aims and approaches implemented by individual countries often led to anything but raising regional understanding. The book’s third part reflects upon activities of various initiatives aiming to approach this challenge from the perspective of civil society, and Central Europe’s young generation. The collection brings together leading historians of Central Europe from the V4 countries. It also offers external perspectives on historical developments in Central Europe from the perspective of the 21st century and on political cooperation as well as its roots. Lastly, it includes practitioners of Central European cooperation from both academia and civil society, and their reflection on their countries’ political cooperation after 1989.

“The evenhanded and factual character of the contributions presented in this book shows the right way to deal with history, no matter how complicated. It is an example worth emulating.”—Petr Vágner, former director of International Visegrad Fund

Contents:

Intro

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction: The Historical Difficulties of Regional Cooperation in a Space Where My Hero is Your Enemy

The foolish dream of a clean slate? A common past acting as both a burden and an inspiration. What to do with borders and with minorities?

What Does It Take to Become a Hero: Perspectives of Cultural Sociology and Political Science

The Legacy of Central Europe 1918-1945

Historical Consciousness in the Visegrád Four

History of Modern Central Europe, Anthropology, and Theory of Mimetic Rivalry

My Enemy-The Best Opportunity to Build One's Own Identity. Carl Schmitt Again.

Civic and ethnic nationalism and the identity formation of Central European societies in the interwar period

A Heritage of Historic Hungary-Remembrance and Revisionism as an Approach to Hungarian Nation Building in the Inter-war Period

From Myths to Reality: the Regionalism of Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky (1886-1944)

Štefánik's Death and the Czecho(Slovak) Identity

Kamil Krofta and Czechoslovak Identity among Czechs, Slovaks and Germans and Others

New States-Old-new elements of nationalism in caricatures (1919-1921)

Jozef Tiso: My Enemy-Your Hero?

Jozef Tiso, Patriot or Traitor? A Slovak Debate That Has Been Carried on from the Second World War to the Present Day

Welcoming the Admiral on a White Horse: The Depictions of the Horthy Regime in Slovak Historical Culture

Changing Images of Miklós Horthy

Edvard Beneš and His Image: 'Hero or Villain'?

Freemason, Coward, Russophile, Schemer: Edvard Beneš in the Eyes of the Poles, 1918-45

'A Wasted Year': Władysław Gomułka and 1956

Imre Nagy-Hero or Victim?

Alexander Dubček, the Best-known Slovak Politician

Alexander Dubček, a Czechoslovak Politician

'Havel on Wawel!' or a Prophet is Not without Honour, but in His Own Country.

Wałęsa's Absence from Czech Society

Summary: Factors Driving Nation Building Processes after 1918 and Their Implications

Persons who became myths

How to teach history today?

What is the role of history in contemporary political discourses?

How to ask about the V4 identity from historical and contemporary point of view?

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 417-446).

ISBN:

9783838270159

3838270150

Publisher Number:

9783838270159