Twentieth Century Rumania

Recounts the history of Romania during the 20th century, from a semblence of democracy in the 1920s, through dictatorship and World War II, and to the 'Golden Age' of Ceausescu. Other topics include the loss of national identity, Stalinism, socialism, Satellitenstaat, social patriotism, and national communism.

This updated edition focuses on the communist age in Romania, evaluating earlier democratic and authoritarian-fascist periods as well. It begins by examining essential elements of the historic legacy - nationalism, authoritarianism, economic and social underdevelopment and adverse geopolitical factors - inherited by Romania's rulers after World War I. New chapters have been added on the reign of Nicolae Ceausescu and the political changes currently underway. The author evaluates the difficulties and opportunities Romania faces in the post-communist era, both as a member of the European Community and as a modern democratic state.

The studies included in this volume reflect on the history and culture of Romania during the twentieth century, a critical century for the country that saw such realizations as the achievement of national unity, as well as the horrors of two world wars and the installation of a brutal communist dictatorship, ending in the overthrow of the totalitarian regime and the hopes for a freer and more prosperous future. These papers, written in English and Romanian, were presented at the Eighth International Conference of the Center for Romanian Studies, held in Iasi, Romania, on 24-25 June 2002, on the theme "Twentieth Century Romania: A Retrospective." Studies include: Dumitru Sandru, Arestarile Operate În 1945 În RomÂnia Dupa Instaurarea Guvernului Petru Groza; Matthew H. Ciscel, Cei de la Rusi: The linguistic identity of the Bessarabian Romanians in the 20th Century; Dissidents of the Great Unification?; Stelu Serban, About electoral volatility in interwar Romania; Simona Gheorghiu, Nicolae Iorga and the Iron Guard; Florian Banu, Regele Carol al II-lea si emigratia romÂneasca din America În timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial; Mihail Rotaru, Sfatul Tarii si autodeterminarea Basarabiei; Basil D. Georgiadis, Life After Ceausescu: The Challenge of Democracy and NATO Membership for Romania; Wally Bacon, Contextualizing Interwar Romanian-Polish Relations; Liviu Groza, Periodicizari ?i Tranzitii În Secolul XX din perspectiva romÂneasca; and many more.

The cultural politics of commemorating war.

Covering all key Eastern European states and their history right up to the collapse of communism, this second edition of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century – And After is a comprehensive political history of Eastern Europe taking in the whole of the century and the geographical area. Focusing on the attempt to create and maintain a functioning democracy, this new edition now: examines events in Bosnia and Herzegovina includes a new consideration of the evolution of the region since the revolutions of 1989–91 surveys the development of a market economy analyzes the realignment of Eastern Europe towards the West details the emergence of organized crime discusses each state individually includes an up-to-date bibliography. Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century – And After provides an accessible introduction to this key area which is invaluable to students of modern and political history.