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Focusing on the case of a small state engulfed in the worldwide war, this book is a critical analysis from a global comparative perspective of Romania's major developments between 1939-1945. The book explains significant events as recorded in documents and in cross-examination and reenacts the way of thinking, actions, reactions, and motivations of the decision-makers and of the political opposition of the time, as events unfolded beyond their capacity to control them. The author puts events within a historical, geopolitical, perspective, both global and local. ... Read more

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These volumes of a three-volume history of Transylvania are designed to present Transylvanian history in a European context and with due attention to Transylvania´s links to Hungary, the Habsburg Empire, the Romanian Principalities, Turkey and other states of Europe. The comparative approach is also prominent in the presentation of Transylvania´s internal affairs in that the authors address the history -demographic, economic, social, political and cultural -of the three major national groups: Romanian, Hungarian, and Saxon. ... Read more

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This latest volume in the acclaimed Oxford History of Modern Europe series looks at the collapse of Communist power which has once again focused attention on the processes of nation-building in central and eastern Europe. In this comprehensive study, Keith Hitchins focuses on how Rumania's political and intellectual elites attempted to establish an independent state before the advent of Communist rule in 1947. It traces the efforts of the country's leaders to create the institutions of a modern state, to "Europeanize" without losing national identity, and to find ways of preserving independence in the international political and economic order dominated by the great powers. In his study, Hitchins emphasizes how Rumania's past history is essential to a clear understanding of its complex present and future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An explicit, well written book about the history of Rumania.
I have found the book excellent for a hystorical review of the years1866-1947, well documented and pleasant to read. It describes the struggleof a nation to came into existance and to modernise. The book is not only alist of hystorical events, but more a monography of the everyday life. Theauthor has an original way of describing the events of that time. Iconsider the book one of the best in this subject, recommended for anyonewho wants to know more (than the fictitious Dracula)about Rumania'shistory.

one of the best books that was written on Romanian history
A very elegant book , written in an elegant , clear style . Trutful to the historical context , with no biast interpretation of the subject matter , yet compassionate and open . Excelent ! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Title should have been "Education in Greater Romania"
After World War I, Romania acquired major portions of territory that had until then been part of other countries (Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bucovina). Each of these territories had their own non-Romanian elite who resented the fact that they were suddenly subservient to the Romanians, who had previously been the underdogs even though they were the majority of the citizens.

Now Romania wanted to reverse the centuries old practices and somehow eject the old non-Romanian elite out of their cushy positions and replace them with Romanians. But since, in many cases, Romanians represented the rural class who lived primarily in villages they were often the uneducated masses. Most of the schools, however, were in the cities and Romanian "peasants" weren't welcome (sometimes extending to violent denial).

Romania felt that the only way to reverse the trend was to educate the masses of often illiterate Romanians. But at every turn, they met with resistance from the "old guard" ... teachers who refused to teach classes in the Romanian language. And so, Romania forced the issue, insisting that non-Romanian teachers either pledge their allegiance to the Romanianstate or face being fired.

But even when Romanian students showed up at the schools, they were faced with schools overcrowded with existing non-Romanian students. The Bucharest politicians forced the issue ... but not without a great deal of strife between the former non-Romanian and the current Romanian students.

Universities were especially hard hit because they were seen as the pathway to better jobs for Romanians. But universities were only found in the larger cities ... and were already overcrowded with urban non-Romanians, including a large number of Jews. This constant conflict might have been one of the reasons, according to the book, that fascist nationalism recruited such great numbers of Romanian students, especially at the University of Iasi where Codreanu, the future leader of the fascist Iron Guard, was a law student who sat through lectures by A.C. Cuza, a vehement anti-Semitic.

The book does an excellent job of covering the many pressure-cooker conflicts that existed in each of the gained territories. Each territory had a different and unique set of problems that the book covers very well. ... Read more

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Heroes and Victims explores the cultural power of war memorials in 20th-century Romania through two world wars and a succession of radical political changes -- from attempts to create pluralist democratic political institutions after World War I to shifts toward authoritarian rule in the 1930s, to military dictatorships and Nazi occupation, to communist dictatorships, and finally to pluralist democracies with populist tendencies. Examining the interplay of centrally articulated and locally developed commemorations, Maria Bucur's study engages monumental sites of memory, local funerary markers, rituals, and street names as well as autobiographical writings, novels, oral narratives, and film. This book reveals the ways in which a community's religious, ethnic, economic, regional, and gender traditions shaped local efforts at memorializing its war dead.

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This book addresses the form and nature of the transition Romania has undergone since the fall of the Ceausescu regime in 1989. The reconstruction of Romania has taken place not only within the context of the legacy of state socialism, but within an even greater context of general historical, political social and economic legacies. Some of the problems Romania has encountered during this progression are its system of social stratification, economic development and the struggle to create a solid national identity.

Customer Reviews (1)

Non-fiction More Impelling Than Any HollywoodCreation
If you like fictitious spy novel thrillers written by those who draw inspiration from their vast imagination, then this book will not be believable enough for you. This one is true and actually lived by the author himself after WWII. I recommend that you follow up with the continuation of this true story with a book entitled "The Wall Between" by Annie Samuelli. Afterwards, you will see our prison system like a Hyatt hotel chain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Structure of and people in the Securitate
How does someone find out about the organizational structure and the people within the Securitate (the secret security police of Romania)? Well, this book gives those details. An organization that is devoted to secrecy is opened to the public by this book.

The Securitate was used effectively and efficiently by Ceausescu to remove all opposition to his rule and to keep his citizens in line through terror and fear. Ordinary citizens sometimes knew the agents installed in their schools, at their workspaces, or at their meeting places ... but they weren't always obvious ... many never knew who was an agent or an informer ... friends, coworkers, even family.

How did normal, otherwise good people allow themselves to become a part of this repressive arm of Ceausescu's communist regime? Well, many of the answers are in this book. It discusses how the Communist Party gained support for the Securitate, how they coerced people into complying with the Securitate's demands, and even how some tried to rebel against the omnipresent Securitate.

Although the long list of names, many of whom I have never heard of before, is occasionally boring, at least I know where to find them if I ever read about one of them. This is a subject that could consume many volumes if covered in detail (there are millions of files on citizens), but this book does an excellent job in the extent of its coverage while keeping the book small enough to hold in my lap.

Unfortunately, the book is VERY hard to find. But if you can find it, you will be glad you bought it!

Top-class study of Ceausescu's abominations
This is in my view the most authoritative study of the Ceausescu system to have been published since the dictator's execution in 1989. Very well written and quite fascinating. It puts more sensationalist and hastilyproduced works to shame.

Personal and academic perspective on Romania's History
Probabaly what drew me to the book was the knowledge that Deletant had a long association with the regime of Ceasuescu and a strong academic understanding of the system. He writes with personal candour and an eye fora good story.He also has the ability to bring large numbers of factstogether with consummate ease. Probably the best researched volume on thesubject.

Extensively researchedwork on Communist Romania
This British author speaks fluent Romanian, married a Romanian wife, and lived in Communist Romania.The result is well-researched history, supplemented by personal experience (such as his attempts to get anemigration permit for his wife). ... Read more

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In this comprehensive, well-documented work, the clandestine rescue operation on the Hungarian-Romanian border in Transylvania is revealed in the framework of the history and politics of the time of the Holocaust.It attests to the courage of Jewish leadership in the face of annihilation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great testament of Jews in Northern Transylvania 1936-44
This book documents various events during 1936-44 Nazi / Hungarian control over Northern Transylvania and the resultant persecution of the Jews of that area.It describes how Romania both persecuted Jews, and in the end,provided for safe emigration for thousands. Moshe Carmilly-Weinberger andmany others secured passage out of Northern Transylvania to Romania. Manypeople and places are documented for those interested in geneaology. Theonly issue I found with the book was easily following the non-chronologicalpresentation.

jimi
it is the real story of the great work of one of the most importantsromanian politicians . ... Read more

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One of the greatest challenges during the enlargement process of the European Union towards the east is how the issue of the Roma or Gypsies is tackled. This ethnic minority group represents a much higher share by numbers, too, in some regions going above 20% of the population. This enormous social and political problem cannot be solved without proper historical studies like this book, the most comprehensive history of Gypsies in Romania. It is based on academic research, synthesizing the entire historical Romanian and foreign literature concerning this topic, and using lot of information from the archives.

The main focus is laid on the events of the greatest consequence. Special attention is devoted to aspects linked to the long history of the Gypsies, such as slavery, the process of integration and assimilation into the majority population, as well as the marginalization of Gypsies, which has historic roots. The process of emancipation of Gypsies in the mid-19th century receives due treatment. The deportation of Gypsies to Transnistria during the Antonescu regime, between 1942-1944, is reconstructed in a special chapter. The closing chapters elaborate on the policy toward Gypsies in the decades after the Second World War that explain for the latest developments and for the situation of this population in today's Romania. ... Read more

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Communist Romania is 40 years old--a long enough time span for judging the successes and failures of a regime. Headed by Dr. Vlad Georgescu, a group of Radio Free Europe analysts has tried to answer some of the questions that have emerged during this almost half-century of Communist impact on the East European country of Romania: the economic transformation, social changes, cultural, and intellectual developments. The Romanian case makes it clear that change and development do not always mean progress. Special attention has been given to Romania's foreign policy. Written by scholars with first-hand experience and knowledge in Romanian affairs, the book represents a much-needed contribution to the history of a regime generally treated with unusual generosity by Western scholars. ... Read more

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is a detailed analysis of the political, economic, and social phenomena observed in Romania in recent years. It examines reasons for the failure of both political revolution and internal transition in that country, and explores the growing influence of industrial technology. The foremost analyst of the politics and socioeconomics of post-1989 Romania, Vladimir Pasti also discusses prospects for a future transition in his nation and the conditions -both large and small -necessary for it to succeed. ... Read more

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A number of scholars assess the role of the historian and the contributions of historiography in the interpretation of the major problems, most notably of nationalism, that have continued to create political and social conflict in Transylvania. The book addresses the fundamental issues related to cultural and political factors in the formation of ideologies and concepts that have inflamed public opinion and failed to reconcile the conflicting goals of the Romanian and Hungarian populations and governments in that troubled region of Eastern Europe. ... Read more

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This volume comprises a series of studies on Romanian history by Romanian and foreign historians of Romania dedicated to the memory of the distinguished Romanian historian Constantin C. Giurescu. ... Read more