Communism, Post-Communism and Democracy: The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century (East European Monographs)

A leader of "the new Europe" offers a unique perspective on recent history.A stalwart ally and strategic partner in the war against terror and a new member of NATO, Romania with its vibrant democracy and robust economy is a far different place than it was in mid-twentieth century. According to some analysts, the twentieth century was a "short century" spanning the years from the outbreak of World War I in 1914 to the fall of Soviet-style Communism in 1991. It was nevertheless one of the most dynamic and dramatic centuries in the history of civilization, featuring two world wars of unprecedented atrocity, the rise of Fascism, state Communism, the fall of the colonial empires, the Cold War, and the global confrontation of two opposing political systems. This book depicts, from the uniquely personal perspective of Ion Iliescu, current president of Romania, some of the historical drama of that "short century."Ion Iliescu with Vladimir Tismaneanu is the author of 'Communism, Post-Communism and Democracy: The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century (East European Monographs)', published 2006 under ISBN 9780880335508 and ISBN 0880335505.