Politics without a Past: The Absence of History in Postcommunist Nationalism (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Ten years after the fall of the Berlin wall, the plot line of the transition from communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union..." (more)
Key Phrases: communist socialization process, federal assembly deputy, modern national ideologies, World War, Slovak National Uprising, Slovak National Party (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A pioneering study. This book should be required reading for journalists and diplomats who deal with post-communist Europe." - James Felak, University of Washington "Cohen's deft and ingenious examination of the historical, political, biographical, and moral features of Slovakia's present and recent past, in particular the peculiar and powerful quality and impact of the Leninist legacy, contributes substantially to our grasp of this area's novel political sociology."-Ken Jowitt, University of California, Berkeley" "This book is well documented and, for anyone interested in the current travails of Eastern Europe in general and Slovakia in particular, this is a valuable source text."--Morning Star, 23 October, 2000

Product Description

In Politics without a Past Shari J. Cohen offers a powerful challenge to
common characterizations of postcommunist politics as either a resurgence of
aggressive nationalism or an evolution toward Western-style democracy. Cohen
draws upon extensive field research to paint a picture of postcommunist
political life in which ideological labels are meaningless and exchangeable
at will, political parties appear and disappear regularly, and citizens
remain unengaged in the political process.
In contrast to the conventional wisdom, which locates the roots of widespread intranational strife in deeply rooted national identities from the past, Cohen argues that a profound ideological vacuum has fueled destructive tension throughout postcommunist Europe and the former Soviet Union. She uses Slovakia as a case study to reveal that communist regimes bequeathed an insidious form of historical amnesia to the majority of the political elite and the societies they govern. Slovakia was particularly vulnerable to communist intervention since its precommunist national consciousness was so weak and its only period of statehood prior to 1993 was as a Nazi puppet-state. To demonstrate her argument, Cohen focuses on Slovakia’s failure to forge a collective memory of the World War II experience. She shows how communist socialization prevented Slovaks from tying their individual family stories—of the Jewish deportations, of the anti-Nazi resistance, or of serving in the wartime government—to a larger historical narrative shared with others, leaving them bereft of historical or moral bearings.
Politics without a Past develops an analytical framework that will be important for future research in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and beyond. Scholars in political science, history, East European and post-Soviet studies will find Cohen’s methodology and conclusions enlightening. For policymakers, diplomats, and journalists who deal with the region, she offers valuable insights into the elusive nature of postcommunist societies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Duke University Press (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822323990
• ISBN-13: 978-0822323990
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,007,310 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slovak-American, June 27, 2005

By	Peter Vlcko (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

I found this book to be very insightful and well documented. Having done my own research on Slovakia (and Czechoslovakia) during the 20th century, and being the son of a Slovak major general who saved Jews from deportation, fought in the Slovak National Uprising, directly served under President Edvard Benes between 1945 and 1948, and escaped communist Czechoslovakia in 1948 to continue his fight against totalitarianism, I have gained a fairly good grasp and understanding of the events that Slovakia and her people experienced in the 20th century. I have many family members still living in Slovakia with whom I regularly communicate and have visited there on numerous occasions, including during the period of communist rule. From all that I have come to understand about Slovakia's history and present-day struggles, I find that Dr. Cohen's analysis and focus is precise. Her only failure throughout her doctorial thesis is making a connection between Slovakia's long history of foreign occupation and oppression and the passive, pastoral character and nature of her people that has made her an easy victim and target over the centuries. It can be argued that this passive character is a consequence of centuries of external oppression or a manifestation of something deeper that has been at the core of the Slovak character since the 9th century.

Dr. Cohen's analysis of the events of 1938-1948 are right on target. She is thorough in addressing both sides of the arguements that have been proffered mitigating and condemning the actions of the Tiso government during the Second World War. Her conclusions regarding the reasons for revisionist history on the part of the fascists and communists since 1948 are insightful and accurate. While most of the German nation has embraced its shame for its actions during the Second World War, most of the Central and Eastern European countries, including the republics of the former Soviet Union, have done all they can to deny their shame. Like before the Second World War, within Slovakia there are three major political and philosophical forces that remain ardent enemies--democrats (capitalists and social-democrats), fascists (national socialists) and communists (Marxists, but not Stalinists). Dr. Cohen astutely considers the past and ongoing influence of these three forces, as fluid as they are, and categorically ascribes their individual roles to present-day problems. Unfortunately, her study ends in 1999 and much has developed politically, economically and philosophically in Slovakia since then, viz., a distinct and deliberate shift in political alignment from heavy-handed communist-styled central government of the former Soviet Union to U.S.-styled democracy and capitalism. This shift is as massive of a shift in political philosophy that any nation can possibly make after 50 years of totalitariam rule. The closest modern-day similarity would be the fall of the Taliban government or the Baathists in Iraq followed by adoption of democratic and capitalistic principles.

In light of this massive shift, there is no doubt there exists an ongoing struggle in Slovakia, and others like her, between remnants of former political systems and philosophies. I have often informed Slovaks that it will take at least two generations under democracy and capitalism to rid themselves of the former modus cogitandi et operandi that continues to plague them. I believe Dr. Cohen in her doctorial thesis has more than touched on the surface of this struggle. It would be of great and important benefit for anyone wishing to understand the ongoing struggle the people of Slovakia to study Dr. Cohen's book. To date very little modern history of Slovakia is written that is not revisionist--and even less is found in English. I would recommend the following reading for accurate information on Slovakia:

Jozef Lettrich, History of Modern Slovakia (1955, reissued 1985), is a standard work up to World War II. Peter Vlcko, In the Shadow of Tyranny (1973, army officer and eye-witness to events of 1939-1948). Interwar Slovakia is the subject of R.W. Seton-Watson (ed.), Slovakia Then and Now: A Political Survey (1931), a classic text. Slovak nationalism is covered by Peter Brock, The Slovak National Awakening (1976); Joseph A. Mikuš, Slovakia, A Political History: 1918-1950, rev. ed. (1963; originally published in French, 1955); Dorothea H. El Mallakh, The Slovak Autonomy Movement, 1935-1939: A Study in Unrelenting Nationalism (1979); and Carol Skalnik Leff, National Conflict in Czechoslovakia: The Making and Remaking of a State, 1918-1987 (1988).

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars provocative, November 24, 2001

By A Customer

While this book is a case study of post-communist Slovakia, it has great relevance for thinking about the Taliban and other such seemingly ideological regimes in other parts of the world. How deep really is the ideology of Muslim fundamentalism? Is it much more opportunistic than we think? Read this fascinating book to help you reflect on these and other questions.