Since the collapse of Eastern European communism, the Balkans have been more prominent in world affairs than at any time since before the First World War. Crises in the area have led NATO to fire its first ever shots in anger, whilst international forces have been deployed on a scale and in a manner unprecedented in Europe since World War Two.An understanding of why this happened is impossible without some knowledge of the history of the area before the fall of communism, of how the communists came to power and how they used their authority thereafter. Covering the communist states of Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, and including Greece, Richard Crampton provides a highly readable introduction to that history, one that will be read by journalists, diplomats and anyone interested in the region and its impact on world politics today.
Richard Crampton has published widely on the Balkans and Eastern Europe. He is Professor of East European History and Fellow of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford.
List of tablesList of mapsPrefaceAcknowledgementList of abbreviationsMapsPART 1: COMMUNISTS TAKEOVER AND CIVIL WAR: THE BALKANS 1944 – 19491. Introduction2. Yugoslavia 1944 – 19483. Albania 1944 – 19484. Bulgaria 1944 - 19485. Romania 1944 - 19486. Greece 1944 - 1949PART 2: THE BALKANS DURING THE COLD WAR 1949 – 19897. Introduction8. Yugoslavia 1948 – 19899. Albania 1948 – 199110. Bulgaria 1948 - 198911. Romania 1948 - 198912. Greece 1949 - 1900PART 3: THE POST - COMMUNIST BALKANS13. Introduction14. The Yugoslav crisis 1989 – 1992, and the war in Bosnia 1992 – 199515. Yugoslavia and its successor skates since 199216. Albania since 199117. Bulgaria since 198918. Romania since 198919. Greece since 190020. EpilogueBibliographyIndex
"a compelling analysis of the political, cultural, social and economic dynamics during and after the Cold War" Times Literary Supplement"[The] book affords the detailed country studies of the post-1945 period that will benefit scholars as well as students of European history and international relations.'John R. Lampe, University of Maryland at College Park, The International History Review