1989 - the Final Stage: a Comparative Study of Transition from Communist Rule to Democratic Government in Poland and Czechoslovakia

Two decades after the fall of Communist rule, the events of 1989 still fascinate historians, social and political scientists. Many point out that 1989 has become a symbolic date for Europe. On the occasion of the accession of the new member states to the European Union, which had known Communist dictatorship, many politicians stressed that 1989 marked the beginning of the process which completed on 1st May 2004. This book analyses the transfer of power away from Communist governments in two countries of the former Soviet bloc. The core of this work is focused on the dissolution of Communist rule in Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1989 and on the background of these events. This project draws on recently released materials in Warsaw and Prague archives which allow us to focus attention on the negotiation process in Poland and the rapid dissolution of Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The book draws on historical material but also on theoretical literature on transition from the field of political science. The author hopes that this work will be useful not only for the experts in the field, students and researchers but also anyone interested in the recent history of Europe.