Central and Eastern Europe: The Challenge of Transition (SIPRI Monograph Series)

The challenges and dilemmas posed to stability in the former Soviet Union, and Central and Eastern Europe by the collapse of Communist rule are undisputably wide-ranging. Recognizing the need to adopt an approach that does justice to a momentous process of change, this book focuses on the security implications of continuing developments in the political, social, economic, and military spheres. The heart of the book is a set of case studies examining in detail the situation in a number of countries: Hungary, Poland, the Czech and Slovak republics, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, the Balkan region, and the former Yugoslavia. As an introduction to the case studies, a section of essays astutely assesses recent developments in Central and Eastern Europe from a broader thematic perspective, focusing on the role of European organizations in the ethnic conflicts currently prevalent throughout the region.