Hopes and Shadows: Eastern Europe After Communism (Paperback)

This text offers an analysis of the politics of Eastern Europe since the collapse of Communism in 1989. It examines the region's "revolution", as countries seek to introduce liberal democracies and market economies, and reassert national identies that have lain dormant in the 40 years of Soviet rule.;Through individual studies and the analysis of key factors such as the economy and the role of nationalism, the book seeks to illustrate the scale of the changes and the risks associated with political and economic reform. A chapter on former Yugoslavia is included, providing a concise background to the civil war and presenting ideas on likely outcomes.;This study should be of interest to all students of European politics as well as the general reader.