[.ca] Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends (ISBN 0195148258)

Superb Background Study for understanding Central Europe:
This is an amazing background history on Central and Eastern Europe and its developments-cultural, political and socio-economic-after the fall of Rome and the rise of the Christian West. This is a vibrant region where the interplay of cultures (Slavic, Germanic, Magyar, Turkish, et al.) and faith (Islam and the Christian Creeds whether Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox) interact. Johnson gives a great cursory background to the nineteenth century nationalist movements in Central Europe. Moreover, his elaboration on feudal developments helps gives clarity to understanding the sometimes enigmatic region of Mitteleurope (i.e. Middle Europe.) Anyway, Johnson explains why it is integral to understand the medieval meaning of natio (nation) in order to gain proper cognizance of history. The medieval kingdoms were "relatively loose confederations ruled by kings who claimed a limited amount of jurisdiction for specific subordinate political and territorial units, each of which, in turn, was ruled by nobles who exercised a high degree of autonomy in their domains." Thus, the nobles and not the people were the constituent members of the nation. Approaching Central European history, without the clouded lens of modern democratic theory, which eschews feudalism as primitive, has clouded proper understanding of the developments so integral to Central Europe and its history. While romantic nationalism has swept Central Europe, the metamorphosis of romantic nationalism with hundreds of years of tradition, requires understanding medieval developments to frame everything in the proper perspective. There are history lessons to be learned from this book. To me, the breakup of Austria-Hungary was an impetus for the violent ultra-nationalism, which has plagued the region in the twentieth century. Austria-Hungary, a traditional monarchy, acted as a stabilizer in the Balkans. Prussia's self-assertion in the 19th century, and their being the torchbearer of Pan-German nationalism, played no small part in the gradual downfall of traditional monarchies like that of the Austrian Hapsburgs though , (as did WWI). This book also cast light on the Slavic and Germanic tension, which was forever part of the region. It also proves the absurdity of Nazi race theories of 'racial purity,' since the various peoples of Mitteleurope-Germany in particular-are among the most mixed stocks in Europe... In the middle ages, the Teutonic Knights essentially Germanized many of the Slavs in their desire to push the creed of Western Christendom giving them the German language and the Roman Catholic Faith. The Slavs countered the Germanic push as well, but in Poland they never displaced Catholicism, only the German language, though not in its entirity. Ironically, the wellspring from which Pan-Germanism and German nationalism was born was amongst amalgamated German-speaking 'Germano-Slavs' in Prussia. (Granted, they were thoroughly 'Germanized' culturally, hence their dehumanization of their 'Slavic' neighbors to the east.) Pan-Germanism was wrapped in a mythology about German supremacy and 'blood purity,' which history proves to be false. Anyway, Johnson wraps up the book with a fascinating probe into 20th century history as two world wars changed the political landscape. Central European history under the Nazis and the Soviets is covered with amazing clarity. With regards to the Balkans, and that nebulous post-WWI multi-ethnic state of 'Yugoslavia,' much can be learned from this book in understanding its history and diagnosing problems with NATO/EU foreign policy towards the Balkans.

An excellent synthesis of a misunderstood region.:
This book is being used as a supplemental reading in a seminar class in Eastern Europe. Johnson, as the third generation of Slavic historians, has written an easy to read, well documented, and scholarly work. His theses are easy to comprehend, and he makes the region, politics, and ethnic struggles of the region accessible to all readers.