Democratization of Eastern
The Political Impact of Inter-War
Years and WWII
What common trends do we find across the region during
the “inter-war period”? (1919-1939)
Lines
on map redrawn to create “nation-states”
But about 30% of all Central and
East Europeans where minorities in the state where they resided
Linguistic Divisions, 1914
What does it mean to say the region
largely “flunked” democracy?
Roskin, 35:
“By the mid-1920s, only Czechoslovakia continued to function as a
democracy. All the others were taken
over by conservative parties with rigged elections, nationalist generals, royal
dictators, or fascistic movements. They
quickly flunked their first test as democracies.”
He goes on to point out that many
countries in the world also succumbed to right-wing extremism and dictatorship
during this period:
Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal,
Greece, Brazil, and Japan
Are all of these countries lacking
in the traits it takes to build and maintain democracy?
Roskin, 35:
“We now see that democracy is not something that can simply be
transplanted into a country. However
democratic the constitution may be, democracy depends on widespread attitudes
of moderation, tolerance, compromise, and restraint.”
“You cannot thrust democracy on a poor, badly educated population with
no experience in self-rule and expect it to work. Democracy takes
practice. Without experience and
moderate attitudes, democracy becomes chaotic and tumultuous; politicians and
parties don’t play by the rules; and the democracy soon ends.”
Note: Czechoslovak exception. Most industrialized part of CE Europe at the
time
What should we do with this
information?
i.e.
How much weight should we put on the
countries’ experiences in the inter-war period as predictors of their likely
success at democratizing in the post-communist period?
Roskin Chapter 3: WWII
East Europe pays a heavy price
1. loss of life
2. cultural
loss, E European Jewry
loss of sovereignty
sold out by the "Allies"
condemned to the "Soviet sphere of influence"