Swain And Swain, Eastern Europe Since 1945

Abstract

Contrary to popular perceptions, Eastern Europe is not a single entity. Geoffrey and Nigel Swain reject that perception by examining the uniqueness of each of the seven or eight countries making up the Eastern block. At times it seems that the distinctions are extremely minute, but the total of these small differences do support their thesis that each country came under the Soviet umbrella in distinct enough ways and, more importantly, emerged from under that umbrella in such different ways as to warrant the demise of the term Eastern Europe.