The key to understanding a volatile region
In 1989, to the surprise of many, the infamous Iron Curtain separating Western and Eastern Europe collapsed. In a matter of months, a world that had existed for four decades was overturned, and nations and peoples who had for centuries been dominated-and at times destroyed-by their more powerful neighbors were detached from the Russian sphere of influence and set on a radically new economic and political path.
Major articles on the countries of Eastern Europe
The cornerstones of the encyclopedia are the articles on countries and regions of Eastern Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the countries that once made up Yugoslavia. Additional coverage of European Russia is also included. These articles are both detailed and concise, offering the reader a brief but comprehensive introduction into a country's history during the last two centuries.

Articles on the major political organizations and movements
Eastern Europe was an area rich in diverse political ideas and movements, stretching from monarchists on the one extreme to radical socialists and anarchists on the other. These movements often played decisive roles in the political and social evolution of the region but have often been little covered in histories written from a Western European orientation. The book also covers the leading figures who shaped the region's political destiny, as well as the major artists, writers, and other culturally significant individuals during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Maps and other reader aidsAn extensive map program enriches the text and helps the reader place a topic in geographic context. Bibliographies at the end of entries direct the reader to accessible sources for further reading on Eastern European history.
This encyclopedia serves as an excellent introduction for the reader who is unfamiliar with Eastern Europe, but it is also a comprehensive reference for the expert interested in checking a detail or examining the latest historical perspective about a subject.