Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment

246 Pages·2009·6.892 MB·English

by  Stephen Kotkin, Jan Tomasz Gross

UNCIVIL SOCIETY

Stephen Kotkin
WITH A CONTRIBUTION BY JaN T. GROSS
UNCIVIL S OCIETY
1989 and the Implosion
of the Communist Establishment
A MODERN LIBRARY CHRONICLES BOOK
THE MODERN LIBRARY
NEW YORK

2009 Modern Library Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Jan T. Gross and Stephen Kotkin
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Modern Library, an imprint of
The Random House Publishing Group, a division
of Random House, Inc., New York.
Modern Library and the Torchbkarkr Design are registered
trademarks of Random House, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-679-64276-3
Kotkin, Stephen.
Uncivil society: 1989 and the implosion of the communist establishment/
Stephen Kotkin; with a contribution by Jan T. Gross,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-679-64276-3
1. Soviet Union—Politics and government—1985-1991. 2. Europe, Eastern—
Politics and government—1989- 3. Former communist countries—History.
4. Social change—Soviet Union—History. 5. Social change—Europe,
Eastern—History—20th century. 6. Civil society—Soviet Union—History.
7. Civil society—Europe, Eastern—History—20th century. 8. Soviet Union—
Social conditions—1970-1991. 9. Europe, Eastern—Social conditions—
20th century. I. Gross, Jan Tomasz. II. Title.
DK288.K68 2009
947.0009*048—dc22 2009012903
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
www.modernlibrary.com
2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1
First Edition
To Paul Lendvai (b. 1929),
JOURNALIST AND LEADING LIGHT OF
TWENTIETH-CENTURY EASTERN EUROPE

The party was shattered not by its opponents but—
paradoxically—by the leadership.
----KAROLY GROSZ,
the last Hungarian Communist-party chief, 1991

Contents
Preface xiii
Chronology xix
Maps xxv
I. Bank Run 3
II. No Exit 35
III. Breakthrough 67
IV. As If 97
Epilogue 133
Notes 147
Guide to Further Reading 181
Index 185