Abstract
Questions of inheritance from the period of communism have remained relevant in the political discourse of the Central and Eastern European countries, especially in the context of the integration of these societies into the European Union. This has been mainly on account of the tendencies of the government in these societies to interfere with media freedom, the issue of corruption, oligarchization of the society and reform fatigue. In talking about the inheritance of communism in this geographical area, in today’s context, it is significant to note that it has predominantly negative connotations, implying an authoritarian form of government, suppression of opposition, persecution of religious believers, a centrally controlled economy and collectivism. It is noteworthy that the experiences of Soviet communism in the countries of the region vary in both content and degree. The chapter primarily seeks to focus on the experiences of Hungary and Slovakia while also offering possible generalizations for the whole region.
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Notes
- 1.
Alexander II was the emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881. Described as ‘Tsar liberator’ for liberating the serfs in 1861, he is credited for having decreed major reforms in Russia’s social, judicial, educational, financial, administrative, and military systems.
- 2.
The 1861 Emancipation Manifesto proclaimed the emancipation of the serfs. This far reaching reform effectively abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire and meant the liberation of 20 million serfs.
- 3.
Gercen aimed at creating the ideal of a socialist society, a sort of proto-communitarism. He regarded work as prayer and struggle.
- 4.
The Congress of the Socialist International in Basel in 1912, urged the workers of all countries to rely on the strength of international solidarity in the struggle against capitalist imperialism. Recalling the war in 1870 that resulted in the revolutionary movement of the Paris Commune as well as the Russian-Japanese War of 1905 which stimulated the revolutionary forces in the Russian Empire, the Congress warned the ruling class against armed actions that would further deepen the poverty of those involved in capitalist production.
- 5.
The new breakthrough corresponded to the will of the winners to create a counterweight to Germany and a “sanitary cordon” against Communist Russia.
- 6.
Prisoning of Gomulka in Poland (1949), execution of Rajka in Hungary (1949) and Slánsky in Czechoslovakia (1952) are some examples.
- 7.
Nikita Khrushchev was the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1953—1964 and Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of the USSR during 1958—1964.
- 8.
Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, was a Russian novelist, philosopher, historian and political prisoner. An outspoken critic of the Soviet Union, he successfully raised global awareness on the Soviet Gulag labor camps.
- 9.
This was undoubtedly a consequence of the rising nationalism of the southeast of Europe in the former Yugoslavia, and also the abandonment of Stalinism in Albania and its inclination towards Maoism.
- 10.
Willy Brandt was the German Chancellor from 1969 until 1974.
- 11.
Albania being the sole exception.
- 12.
The disputed borders were particularly between the German Democratic Republic and Poland on the imaginary line between Odra and Nisa.
- 13.
In 1995, it was renamed as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
- 14.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
- 15.
Together with American propaganda broadcast through the radio stations Free Europe and Voice of America, an important role was played by the television and radio stations in the West from the Berlin Wall.
- 16.
On May 5, 1992, a French member of the National Assembly, gaullist Philippe Seguin expressed this opinion.
- 17.
The European Union, according to Klaus, does not respect parliamentary democracy, does not seek a free market and overlooks the old European civilizational traditions.
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Moravčíková, M. (2021). The Russian Revolution and Its legacies in the Socio-political Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe. In: Chenoy, A.M., Upadhyay, A. (eds) Hundred Years of the Russian Revolution. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4785-4_13
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