End+of+the+cold+war


 * Pol Sci 2211 Contemporary Politics of Europe Fall 2008 (Dr. Howard)**
 * Friday, November 7**
 * __Communism in Eastern Europe and the End of the Cold War__**

Reading: Crepaz and Steiner Chapter 10

__Path dependence__—a widely used concept in political science

__Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism, and bureaucratic communism__

__Neo-Marxism and European intellectuals__
 * The intellectual hold of the neo-marxism
 * Eurocommunist parties in W Europe
 * Terrorist left esp 1970s


 * __Broad historical notes on East/Central Europe--primarily Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic__**

__1. Relative underdevelopment and subordination to neighboring powers (France, Prussia, Russia, Ottomans)__

legacy of problems: historically weak compared to neighbors—eg: Poland didn’t exist 1795-1918 nationalism and nation building economic backwardness poor state development __2. Independence after WW1__ Austria, Germany, Russia and Turkey were the annexing empires…and they crumbled problems continue ethnic and national diversity and dispersal -distinguish liberal and integralist nationalism poverty, economic and social dislocation difficulty of consolidating democ instits fascist parties doing well all states except Czechoslovakia had right wing regimes

__3. Intro of Communism after WW2__ -the anti-German allies met in central Europe and Germany…. -the US and GB were to dominate the Mediterranean -and the Soviets the Baltic North -Stalin wanted buffer zone, and was already in Central Europe -the question for him was what kind of control he would exercise -he kept the states intact…but subject to Russian military power and CP dynamic -compelled in each country the establishment of CP dominated government -elections early on…but by end 40s power consolidated -after ‘48 it grew increasingly totalitarian—Stalin ordered controls

__4. Democratic beginnings and the changing perspective of the Soviets, 56-89__ -Following death of Stalin, something of a relaxation from Russia; his March 53 death stimulated unrest; liquidation of Beria, -later emergence of Khrushchev signaled changes afoot (but later the Brezhnev doctrine signaled a willingness to intervene when necessary and possible)

-some attempts at reform—general outline: 1953: working class protests and communist revisionists in Germany 1956: Krushchev denounces Stalin 1956: Nagy returns to power in Hungary as democ apparently begins to flower Hungary declares intent to leave Warsaw Pact Tanks move in---Kadar replaces Nagy Hungary a cautionary tale for the other states esp Poland 1948 Tito denounced by Stalin; goes his own way

1968 Prague Spring begins with economic reforms Dubcek outlines democratic reforms August: tanks roll in

1968 Polish students protest over censorship State reacts with repression, anti-Jewish campaign 1970 Polish workers try to organize unions, protest price incr

-it becomes clear that reform not likely from above so self organized activism from below samizdat press and flying universities hints at civil society in the making...

1980 Gdansk shipyard strke results in agreement allowing Solidarity Independent source of allegeigance thrives; a democratic instit in a closed society 1981 December, martial law declared...

__5. Collapse, 89-91__ Poland: -strikes begin 1988 for economic reforms -gov’t enters negotations with Solidarity -unbans Solidarity 1989 -allows open election in 35% of seats in lower house, 99% senate -go’vt soundly defeated in the open seats -although Jaruzelski becomes Pres; Solidarity forces Mazowiecki into premiership--first Comm regime to have a democ gov’t

Hungary -really began in 68 -by 84 multicandidate elections -by 87 there are political parties -June 89 talks begin on transition -Sep 1989: open borders -March 90 democ pol system in place

East Germany: -driven by Hungary Czechoslovakia: the velvet revolution… Romania: -revolutionary Albania -last to change