The State against Society: Political Crises and Their Aftermath in East Central Europe

Classical images of state-socialism developed in contemporary social sciences were founded on simple presuppositions. State-socialist regimes were considered to be politically stable due to their pervasive institutional and ideological control over the everyday lives of their citizens, impervious to reform and change, and representative of extreme political and economic dependency. Despite their contrasting historical experiences, they have been treated as basically identical in their institutional design, social and economic structures, and policies. Grzegorz Ekiert challenges this notion in

Book Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- CONTENTS -- Introduction: Political Crises, Mobilization, and Demobilization in East Central Europe -- The Party-State and Society during the Hungarian Revolution -- The Soviet Invasion and the Defeat of the Revolution -- The Political Crisis, Demobilization, and Regime Reequilibration in Hungary -- The Party-State and Society during the Prague Spring -- The End of Socialism with a Human Face -- The Political Crisis, Demobilization, and Regime Reequilibration in Czechoslovakia -- The Party-State and Society during the Solidarity Period