This historical survey of Central Europe covers a region that encompasses contemporary Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends contains a new epilogue-updated to cover events since 1995-and several redesigned or updated maps. Each chapter is thematically organized around issues or events that are important in helping students develop an understanding of the region`s internal dynamics. Johnson illuminates the competing religious, cultural, economic, national, and ideological interests that have driven the history of Central Europe. Thorough, objective, and focused, Johnson`s work stands out as both a useful core text covering an area of growing interest and a brilliant account of a region that is only just beginning to receive the attention it deserves.

Contents

Introduction: Where is Central Europe?
1.: Central Europe and the Roman Christian West, 400-1000
2.: Feudal Foundations, 1000-1350
3.: The Great Late Medieval Kingdoms
4.: The Bulwarks of Christendom
5.: The Counter Reformation: The Roman Catholic Church and the Habsburg Dynasty, 1550-1700
6.: Absolutism as Enlightenment, 1700-1790
7.: Nations without States, States without Nations, 1790-1848
8.: The Demise of Imperial Austria and the Rise of Imperial Germany, 1848-1890
9.: World War I and National Self-Determination, 1914-1922
10.: Spheres of Influence I, Germany and the Soviet Union
11.: Spheres of Influence II, East and West or "Yalta Europe"
12.: The Failure of Eastern Europe, 1956-1989
13.: The Revolutions of 1989 and their Aftermaths
Epilogue: Old Europe, New Europe, and Central Europe since 9/11
Notes
Index

A szerzőről:
Lonnie Johnson is Executive Director of the Fullbright Commission in Vienna, Austria; specializes in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in the 20th Century.