Product Description

From the hardening grip of Soviet domination under Brezhnev to the collapse of communism and its aftermath, Bulent Gokay provides the essential introduction to Eastern Europe in the last quarter of the twentieth century.  The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 spelt the end of reformist communism and the tightening of Soviet control throughout Eastern Europe. In spite of this, several countries within the Soviet Bloc managed to retain varying degrees of independence over the next two decades. Focusing on the struggle towards economic and social modernisation in the region and the competing influences of East and West in a dangerous Cold War. Bulent Gokay shows how individual circumstances and diverse national characteristics made a uniform application of the Soviet model impossible, and charts the growing resistance to domination and the momentous events which finally toppled Soviet power in the region.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #793215 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From the Back Cover

The momentous events of 1989-91 in Eastern Europe changed world politics and challenged the West to reconsider its attitude to the former Warsaw Pact countries.  With the end of Communism as a political force the mutual hostilities of the Cold War era were finally effaced. Eastern Europe since 1970 examines the last three decades of East European history, including # attempts at social and economic modernisation
# how far the Soviet model absorbed historical and cultural traditions
# the effect of Western ideology on Eastern Europe The account charts the Brezhnev era, pressure for reform and economic crisis, Gorbachev and the snowball effect of change, and the difficulties of transition up to the tragedy of Yugoslavia. A range of primary documents supplement the text, together with features including a chronology, glossary and Who's Who section. BULENT GOKAY is Lecturer in International Relations at Keele University.

Customer Reviews

Why did State-Socialist System collapse in Eastern Europe?
This book provides an insightful analysis to the reasons of the fall of state-socialist regimes in Eastern Europe. It examines how the long-standing economic crisis, increasing levels of dissatisfaction, lack of political legitimacy and the impact of the significant changes in the Soviet Union come together and brought the regimes down in 1989 in the region. This is a detailed, yet concise, comparative analysis of the historical, economic, political and cultural developments on the eastern side of the former Iron Curtain.