Reinventing Politics: Eastern Europe from Stalin to Havel [Hardcover]

Vladimir Tismaneanu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1992

Gives an account of East European politics from the time of Soviet domination to the 1989-90 revolutions, and considers the effect of tyranny on East European culture and politics, the chances for successful and harmonious development in the region, and its relationship with the rest of Europe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Using primary materials from Eastern European democratic movements, Tismaneanu shows how dissident enclaves, grassroots political groups, independent unions and underground initiatives spearheaded the spontaneous outbursts of discontent that led to the nonviolent collapse of communist dictatorships. Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland--countries with strong underground protest movements--seem to have embarked decisively on the road to an open society, observes Tismaneanu, University of Maryland political scientist. In contrast, Albania, Romania and Yugoslavia, with weaker civic traditions, are now beset by fragmentation and unrest. In an illuminating, exciting comparative analysis of the breakup of the Soviet Union's outer empire, Tismaneanu follows communist governance in each of the Eastern bloc countries from postwar Stalinist intervention to the present. He identifies bureaucratic inertia, renascent authoritarian tendencies and the lure of populist adventurers as key obstacles to democracy.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Romanian-born Tismaneanu, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, and author of The Crisis of Marxist Ideology (Routledge, 1988) and editor of Debates on the Future of Communism (St. Martin's, 1991), has produced a well-written treatise on how Eastern Europeans gained the courage to throw off their chains in 1989 and take the first halting steps toward democracy. Tismaneanu examines the events from the bottom up, looking at how the powerless and anonymous groups within each nation quietly, yet profoundly, shook the Soviet-backed straw men in charge. The author points to Khrushchev's 1956 "secret speech" as the beginning of the end for Stalin's legacy in Eastern Europe. The various uprisings in Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia after 1956, although suppressed, fostered a glimmer of hope that success would eventually come. With Gorbachev's formal loosening of control in the mid-1980s, the final revolution was ready. Tismaneanu's work is an excellent introduction to and explanation of the recent confusing events in Eastern Europe. Recommended for the informed reader.
-Ed Goedeken, Purdue Univ. Libs., West Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Free Pr (March 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029326052
• ISBN-13: 978-0029326053
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,664,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Post-Soviet Eastern Europe Accurately Described, January 8, 2001

By 

"sthitch" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reinventing Politics (Paperback)

When I was in college, I was required to read this book. I was struck then by the insights that Tismaneanu had. This text gave me the greatest understanding of why Bulgaria kept the communists while the Czech Republic has put its arms around a market economy. Recently, I went back a re-read this book, and was struck at how timely the analysis still is. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone looking to understand what has and will occur in Eastern Europe.