Diese Reihe befasst sich eingehend mit der komplexen Geschichte und den Folgen des Kalten Krieges. Die Autoren untersuchen sorgfältig neue Archivbeweise, um etablierte Theorien neu zu bewerten und die Nuancen dieser entscheidenden Ära aufzudecken. Sie zielt darauf ab, ein tieferes Verständnis der internationalen Beziehungen und der Innenpolitik zu fördern, die die globale Landschaft prägten. Diese Sammlung bietet aufschlussreiche Analysen und innovative Perspektiven für Wissenschaftler und Studenten.
This book explores the aftermath of World War II, detailing the forced migration of millions of Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, and Hungarians. Utilizing extensive archival materials from multiple countries, contributors offer a comprehensive account of the upheaval and challenges faced during this turbulent period of the early Cold War.
On August 20, 1968, a massive deployment of Soviet and East European forces invaded Czechoslovakia to quash the 'Prague Spring' reforms and restore a strict Communist regime. Initially hesitant, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev ultimately decided that military intervention was necessary after months of deliberation. Within 24 hours of the invasion, troops from the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria established complete control, effectively ending the hopes for 'socialism with a human face.' Although Alexander Dubcek and other reformers were briefly reinstated, their main task from late August 1968 to April 1969 was to reverse the reforms. By April 1969, Dubcek was ousted permanently, marking the definitive end of the Prague Spring. Soviet leaders defended the invasion by claiming it was their 'right' and 'sacred duty' to protect socialism in Czechoslovakia. While the invasion caused some rifts within the Communist bloc, it largely succeeded in achieving Soviet objectives. The United States and NATO allies protested but did not take direct military action, leading historians to analyze this critical moment in the Cold War using new archival evidence. They also explore the U.S. response and whether Washington inadvertently signaled approval to the Soviet Union before the invasion.
Focusing on the collapse of Poland's communist state, the book delves into the underlying causes and far-reaching consequences of this significant historical shift. Through extensive research and interviews, it also analyzes how contemporary leaders navigate the enduring legacies of this transition, providing insight into the political and social challenges that remain.
The Emergence and Development of East-West Conflict, 1939-1953
Focusing on Soviet policy-making, this book offers a fresh perspective on the Cold War's origins and evolution during Stalin's era, utilizing newly available Soviet primary sources. It emphasizes the often-overlooked societal aspects of Soviet foreign policy, highlighting their significance in the Cold War's development. Gerhard Wettig reveals Stalin's strategic approach to provoking crises with the West while skillfully sidestepping military confrontation, providing readers with valuable insights into this complex historical period.
After World War II, 154,000 Germans were arrested by the Soviet secret police and held incommunicado in so-called special camps in the Soviet occupation zone. One third of the inmates did not survive captivity. Based on Russian and German sources, Displaced Terror: History and Perception of Soviet Special Camps in Germany offers a multi-layered account of this chapter of Stalinist persecution and mass violence, which has largely been suppressed to this day. The reasons for this gap in German memory culture are also addressed.
Czech Culture and the Rise of Communism
Exploring the aftermath of World War II in Czech society, this study reveals how communist leaders effectively shaped public discourse about the nation's history, including the interwar period and the war experiences. It highlights unexpected support for communism from Protestant sectors and examines the political struggles with democratic socialists and Catholics. Through an analysis of contemporary publications, the author challenges conventional narratives of the communist rise to power, offering insights into the interplay between war, social change, and the role of intellectuals in shaping public opinion.
The material effects of World War II, in combination with Eastern Europe's disappointingly undemocratic interwar history, placed radical social change on the postwar agenda across the region and shaped the debates that took place in immediate postwar Czech society. These debates adopted both a cultural form, in struggles over the meaning of the recent past and the nation's position on the East-West continuum, and a directly political form, in battles over the meaning of socialism. The Struggle for the Soul of the Nation examines the most important and politically resonant fields of historical and cultural debate in Czech society immediately after World War II. Bradley Abrams finds that communist public figures were largely successful in controlling debate over the nation's recent past--the interwar First Republic and the experiences of Munich and World War II--and over its location on the East-West continuum. This success preceded and was mirrored in the struggles over the political issue of the times: socialism. The communists engaged their political foes in the democratic socialist and Roman Catholic camps, and, surprisingly, found significant support from a major Protestant church. Abrams's careful reading of major publications re-creates a postwar mood sympathetic to radical social change, questioning the standard view of the communists' rise to power. This book not only contributes to the specific literature on Czech history, but also raises questions about the relationship between war and radical social change, about the communist takeover of the region, and about the role of intellectuals in public life.
Drawing on extensive archival materials and over two decades of research, this work provides an in-depth analysis of the Sino-Soviet alliance from the end of World War II to its dissolution in 1959. It reevaluates the partnership through a Chinese lens, highlighting the impact of both foreign and domestic policies on its evolution. By combining interviews and historical documents, it presents a fresh perspective on the dynamics between Mao and the Soviet Union during this pivotal period.
The Reconstruction of Coercive Institutions in the Soviet Zone of Germany and Romania, 1944-1948
The book offers a fresh perspective on how communist parties in East Central Europe established control over security organizations post-1945, utilizing newly available archival material from Berlin and Bucharest. It examines the purges and personnel policies that shaped this control, arguing that the transition was less radical than commonly perceived. Through a lens of transitional justice, the author reveals the continuity and complexities within the security apparatus during this transformative period.