The Burdens of Freedom Eastern Europe Since 1989

The Burdens of Freedomis a history of fifteen countries -- some newly-created -- as they make their way from communism to the present day. For some, the story ends happily, with triumphant entry into the European Union in 2004. Others are caught in limbo, destroyed by nationalist politics, war, and genocide, or crippled by corrupt political practices. Domestically, each country, and the region as a whole, has seen a divide emerge between winners and losers, as the emergence from one particular political and economic system has proved easy for some social groups, impossible for others. Both the winners and losers, though, represent the New Europe, moving simultaneously forward to democracy, unity, and prosperity, and toward national division, corruption, and economic disparity.

Padraic Kenney is author of several books on East European history and politics, including A Carnival of Revolution: Central Europe, 1989 (2002). He divides his time between Wroclaw, Poland, and Boulder, Colorado, where he is Professor of History at the University of Colorado.