Eastern Europe's "time of Troubles"

Eastern Europe's Author: A. Ross Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Europe, Eastern
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description
Eastern Europe faces a 'time of troubles' more serious than at any time since 1956. The proximate causes are economic. To be sure, we have heard dire economic predictions about Eastern Europe before. But the fact remains that economic growth in the region declined from 7.3 percent yearly in the first half of the 1970s to 4 percent yearly in the second half of the decade to negative growth after 1980. It has been argued that the East European economic slowdown would have occurred much more precipitously had it not been for three factors: periodic investment campaigns at lower stages of development; Soviet trade and other subsidies beginning in the 1960s; and cheap Western credits in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, these palliatives lost much of their effectiveness. The East European economies had, by and large, exhausted the potential of extensive development, and thus a boost in investment (a proven instrument for improving the performance of centrally planned economies at lower levels of development) was less effective than it had been in earlier economic downturns. The associated rigidities of the East European economic mechanisms hampered (in comparison with other economic systems at comparable stages of economic development) adjustment to the second international economic 'shock' of the late 1970s. Soviet trade subsidies, especially for energy imports, were reduced. And Western credits became more expensive and then dried up.

Eastern Europe's "time of Troubles"

Eastern Europe's Author: A. Ross Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Europe, Eastern
Languages : en
Pages : 20

Get Book Here

Book Description
Eastern Europe faces a 'time of troubles' more serious than at any time since 1956. The proximate causes are economic. To be sure, we have heard dire economic predictions about Eastern Europe before. But the fact remains that economic growth in the region declined from 7.3 percent yearly in the first half of the 1970s to 4 percent yearly in the second half of the decade to negative growth after 1980. It has been argued that the East European economic slowdown would have occurred much more precipitously had it not been for three factors: periodic investment campaigns at lower stages of development; Soviet trade and other subsidies beginning in the 1960s; and cheap Western credits in the 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, these palliatives lost much of their effectiveness. The East European economies had, by and large, exhausted the potential of extensive development, and thus a boost in investment (a proven instrument for improving the performance of centrally planned economies at lower levels of development) was less effective than it had been in earlier economic downturns. The associated rigidities of the East European economic mechanisms hampered (in comparison with other economic systems at comparable stages of economic development) adjustment to the second international economic 'shock' of the late 1970s. Soviet trade subsidies, especially for energy imports, were reduced. And Western credits became more expensive and then dried up.

The Spiritual Origins of Eastern Europe

The Spiritual Origins of Eastern Europe PDF Author: Sergei O. Prokofieff
Publisher: Temple Lodge Publishing
ISBN: 1906999910
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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Book Description
‘And however paradoxical it may seem today, the “Grail mood” is in the fullest sense to be found in Russia. And the future role that Russia will play in the sixth post-Atlantean epoch... rests firmly upon this unconquerable “Grail mood” in the Russian people.’ – Rudolf Steiner Although Eastern Europe has been part of the Christian world for more than a thousand years, its spiritual identity remains a mystery. This mystery, says Sergei Prokofieff, can only fully be solved by looking behind external events and seeking spiritual – meta-historical – dimensions of reality. In illuminating the maya of outer history, Prokofieff reveals the forces that have been at work to hinder the progress of mankind: the materialistic Brotherhoods of the West and the occult aspects of both Jesuitism and Bolshevism. These adversary groups have created a ‘karma of materialism’, that the eastern Slavic peoples have taken upon themselves out of their ‘exalted willingness for sacrifice’. Prokofieff shows how, from the earliest times, the future ‘conscience of humanity’ flowed from hidden mystery centres in Hibernia, to the eastern Slavic peoples. As a result, qualities of ‘compassion, patience and willingness for sacrifice’ developed in their souls, creating a truly Christian ‘Grail mood’. Despite incalculable suffering – from the persecutions of the Mongol hordes to the Bolshevik experiment of the last century – this quality has become an unconquerable force. Will humanity be able to use the present opportunity granted by this sacrifice to fulfil the primary purposes of the present cultural epoch? Can the future mysteries of the Holy Grail be fulfilled? In this momentous work, breathtaking in its scope and detail, the author attempts a truly esoteric approach, penetrating to the spiritual wellsprings of Eastern Europe in the light of Rudolf Steiner’s research.

Cossack Rebellions

Cossack Rebellions PDF Author: Linda Gordon
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438404484
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
The Ukrainian Cossacks were a complex and tenacious group, influential far beyond their numbers. This book offers an admiring, critical, and close examination of the unique cossack phenomenon. It reveals the sources of their surprising power by looking at them in action, in their sixteenth-century uprisings. The interpretation is organized around three themes, offering resolutions of three apparent contradictions in cossack activity: first, how the cossacks could act simultaneously as individualist mercenaries and yet also lead a collective, class-conscious social rebellion; second, how they could be simultaneously traditionalist and yet also provide leadership for the developing modern Ukrainian nationalism; and third, how the cossacks could be simultaneously unique, quintessentially Ukrainian, and yet form a part of a worldwide response to economic transformations that drew Eastern Europe into a position as exploited agricultural provider for Western Europe.

Orthodox Russia in Crisis

Orthodox Russia in Crisis PDF Author: Isaiah Gruber
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1609090497
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
A pivotal period in Russian history, the Time of Troubles in the early seventeenth century has taken on new resonance in the country's post-Soviet search for new national narratives. The historical role of the Orthodox Church has emerged as a key theme in contemporary remembrances of this time—but what precisely was that role? The first comprehensive study of the Church during the Troubles, Orthodox Russia in Crisis reconstructs this tumultuous time, offering new interpretations of familiar episodes while delving deep into the archives to uncover a much fuller picture of the era. Analyzing these sources, Isaiah Gruber argues that the business activity of monasteries played a significant role in the origins and course of the Troubles and that frequent changes in power forced Church ideologues to innovate politically, for example inventing new justifications for power to be granted to the people and to royal women. These new ideas, Gruber contends, ultimately helped bring about a new age in Russian spiritual life and a crystallization of the national mentality.

Famine in European History

Famine in European History PDF Author: Guido Alfani
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107179939
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
The first systematic study of famine in all parts of Europe from the Middle Ages to present. It compares the characteristics, consequences and causes of famine in regional case studies by leading experts to form a comprehensive picture of when and why food security across the continent became a critical issue.

Eastern Europe!

Eastern Europe! PDF Author: Tomek E. Jankowski
Publisher: New Europe Books
ISBN: 0985062339
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description
Eastern Europe! is a brief and concise (but informative) introduction to Eastern Europe and its myriad customs and history. When the legendary Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded the city of Rome in 753 BCE, Plovdiv -- today the second-largest city in Bulgaria -- was already thousands of years old. Indeed, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam are all are mere infants compared to Plovdiv. This is just one of the paradoxes that haunts and defines the New Europe, that part of Europe that was freed from Soviet bondage in 1989 which is at once both much older than the modern Atlantic-facing power centers of Western Europe while also being in some ways much younger than them. Even those knowledgeable about Western Europe often see Eastern Europe as terra incognita, with a sign on the border declaring "Here be monsters." This book is a gateway to understanding both what unites and separates Eastern Europeans from their Western brethren, and how this vital region has been shaped by, but has also left its mark on, Western Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Ideal for students, businesspeople, and those who simply want to know more about where Grandma or Grandpa came from, Eastern Europe! is a user-friendly guide to a region that is all too often mischaracterized as remote, insular, and superstitious. Illustrations throughout include: 40 photos, 40 maps and 40 figures (tables, charts, etc.) From the Trade Paperback edition.

Soviet-East European Relations as a Problem for the West

Soviet-East European Relations as a Problem for the West PDF Author: Richard D. Vine
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000805832
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Soviet-East European Relations as a Problem for the West (1987) analyses the evolution of Eastern Europe both internally and in its relationship with the Soviet Union, the development of relations between the two superpowers, and the equilibrium between the two security systems. It examines how these changes have altered Western policy options, how internal Western frictions, arising from differing interpretations of these developments, can best be managed, and the most appropriate future policies both to achieve Western goals and to benefit Eastern Europe.

A History of Eastern Europe

A History of Eastern Europe PDF Author: Robert Bideleux
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0415161126
Category : Europe, Eastern
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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Book Description
While mainly focusing on the modern era - the effects of ethnic nationalism, fascism and communism - this history also offers revisionist coverage of topics such as the Hussite Revolution, and the rise and decline of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Eastern European Immigrant Families

Eastern European Immigrant Families PDF Author: Mihaela Robila
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135196362
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Immigration from Eastern Europe to the United States has grown significantly in the last few decades. While Asian and Latin American immigrations have been central to the discourse of migration to the US, the rapid growth of Eastern European immigrants has received insufficient attention. Robila fills this gap by presenting key issues related to immigration from Eastern Europe, such as child-rearing beliefs and practices, cultural beliefs, second-generational conflicts, as well as the challenges faced by Eastern European immigrants as they immigrate around the world.

Education in Eastern Europe and Eurasia

Education in Eastern Europe and Eurasia PDF Author: Nadiya Ivanenko
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1623564336
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Education in Eastern Europe and Eurasia provides an essential reference resource to education development and key education issues in the region. Academics and researchers working closely in the field cover education and educational development in Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Israel. Each chapter provides an overview of the development of education in the particular country, focusing on contemporary education policies and some of the problems these countries face in implementing educational reform. The book also covers the social and political issues which impact on the education system and schooling and governments' responses to recent local, regional and global events.