Central and Eastern Europe: The Challenge of Transition

The challenges and dilemmas posed to stability in the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe by the collapse of Communist rule are undisputably wide-ranging. Recognizing the need to adopt an approach that does justice to a momentous process of change, this book focuses on the security implications of continuing developments in the political, social, economic, and military spheres. The heart of the book is a set of case studies examining in detail the situation in a number of countries: Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak republics, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, the Balkan region, and the former Yugoslavia. As an introduction to the case studies, a section of essays astutely assesses recent developments in Central and Eastern Europe from a broader thematic perspective, focusing on the role of European organizations in the ethnic conflicts currently prevalent throughout the region.