The Crisis of Socialism in Europe, by Christiane Lemke and Gary Marks

Abstract

The recent revolutions in Eastern Europe and the recasting of socialism in Western Europe since 1989 have given rise to intense debate over the origins, character and implications of the crisis of socialism. Is socialism in ideological, electoral or organizational decline? Is the decline inevitable or can socialism be revitalized? This volume draws together historians and political scientists of Eastern and Western European politics to address these questions. The collection begins with an historical overview of socialism in Western Europe and moves towards the suggestion of a framework for a post-socialist discourse. Among the topics covered are the birth and death of communism as a regime in Eastern Europe; how different forms of national communism were smothered by Sovietization in the post-war period; the origins of recent revolutions in Eastern Europe; the potential for social democracy in Hungary; the role of the Left in a reunified Germany and directions for the Left in general.