Central and Eastern Europe, 1944–1993

An ambitious, comparative analysis of 'Eastern Bloc' economies during a period of revolutionary change.

Drawing on his first-hand experience, Ivan Berend distils a huge array of material on the economies of the 'Eastern Bloc' countries during a period of revolutionary change. This is a major contribution to the economic history of the twentieth century.In this wide-ranging account, Ivan Berend traces the post-war fortunes of the countries lying between Germany and the former Soviet Union. Professor Berend draws both on his academic expertise and personal involvement in many of the events which he describes to produce a synthesis of a huge array of materials. His study stretches beyond the confines of economic history to provide insights into the complex interplay of ideological, social and political forces in the 'Eastern Bloc' countries over the last fifty years of revolutionary change. In particular Berend's analysis of totalitarianism, the development of nationalism, and the personalities at the centre of political life in eastern Europe offers an alternative perspective on the economies of the state-socialist regimes at the periphery of the western industrialised world.