Historical Dictionary of Slovakia FROM THE PUBLISHER
The emergence of Slovakia as a new independent state reflects one of the challenges of post-Communism: the application of national self-determinism in Central and Eastern Europe. In the wake of the "Velvet Revolution" which saw the peaceful overthrow of its Communist regime, Czechoslovakia experienced the "Velvet Divorce" which brought about the creation of two new states, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Despite the difficulties of economic and political transformation, the weight of historical experience, and the experience of the political elite under a Communist regime, the Slovak Republic has been a model of peaceful transition from communist politics and economics to liberal democracy and a market economy. The state officially came into existence in 1993. Nevertheless, the "Historical Dictionary of Slovakia" takes a broad view of the country's history and development, including the formation of previous states in which the Slovak nation found itself, be they tribal entities, the Hungarian kingdom, or more recently Czechoslovakia. The book includes ample coverage of Slovakia's economic and political life, as well as individuals who figured prominently in its history and those who play an important role today in its cultural, economic, social, and political development. A brief historical introduction, a chronology of important events, and a series of five maps from the Great Moravian Empire in the ninth century to the current Slovak Republic make sense of the ethnic and political evolution of this nation and its role in Central Europe. An extensive bibliography of works in Western languages and various appendixes direct the reader to further useful sources ofinformation.
Author Biography: Stanislav J. Kirschbaum (Ph.D, UniversitD'e de Paris) is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at York University in Canada. He was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, the largest city in the Slovak Republic. He is a specialist on the politics of Central Europe, particularly communist Czechoslovakia. He has also published "A History of Slovakia: The Struggle for Survival" with St. Martin's Press.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Considers not just the official eastern European state that came into existence in 1993, but the history and development of the region and people through the previous states that incorporated them, including tribal entities, the Hungarian kingdom, and Czechoslovakia. Kirschbaum (political science and international studies, York U., Canada) supports the articles on people, places, events, trends, institutions, and so on, with a brief historical introduction, a chronology, and maps ranging from the ninth century to the present. Well cross- referenced. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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