Mark Pittaway - Böcker

This book examines the post-war history of Eastern Europe from the perspective of social history. It examines the nature and impact of socialist dictatorships on life in the region, and reveals the extent to which phenomena that emerged during the dictatorships are shaping society in the region today. It also integrates research conducted in the archives opened in the last eleven years into a general history of the region

This book examines the post-war history of Eastern Europe from the perspective of social history. It examines the nature and impact of socialist dictatorships on life in the region, and reveals the extent to which phenomena that emerged during the dictatorships are shaping society in the region today. It also integrates research conducted in the archives opened in the last eleven years into a general history of the region.

In 1956, Hungarian workers joined students on the streets to protest years of wage and benefit cuts enacted by the Communist regime. Although quickly suppressed by Soviet forces, the uprising led to changes in party leadership and conciliatory measures that would influence labor politics for the next thirty years.In The Workers' State, Mark Pittaway presents a groundbreaking study of the complexities of the Hungarian working class, its relationship to the Communist Party, and its major political role during the foundational period of socialism (1944-1958). Through case studies of three industrial centers—Ujpest, Tatabanya, and Zala County—Pittaway analyzes the dynamics of gender, class, generation, skill level, and rural versus urban location, to reveal the embedded hierarchies within Hungarian labor. He further demonstrates how industries themselves, from oil and mining to armaments and textiles, possessed their own unique labor subcultures. From the outset, the socialist state won favor with many workers, as they had grown weary of the disparity and oppression of class systems under fascism. By the early 1950s, however, a gap between the aspirations of labor and the goals of the state began to widen. In the Stalinist drive toward industrialization, stepped up production measures, shortages of goods and housing, wage and benefit cuts, and suppression became widespread. Many histories of this period have focused on Communist terror tactics and the brutal suppression of a pliant population. In contrast, Pittaway's social chronicle sheds new light on working-class structures and the determination of labor to pursue its own interests and affect change in the face of oppression. It also offers new understandings of the role of labor and the importance of local histories in Eastern Europe under communism.

Eastern Europe since 1939 is a detailed exploration of the region’s history from the outbreak of the Second World War until now. Focusing on social history, the book examines life under the socialist dictatorships which dominated the region and how the legacy of these regimes has and, in some cases, has not shaped Eastern European societies in more recent times.The book takes a comparative approach in its analysis of key topics, such as the legacy of the Second World War, Stalinism, the 1989 revolutions and the post-socialist experience. It then masterfully places the turbulent political events in a wider social context so significant social subjects like gender, class, minorities, popular religion, culture and leisure can be discussed in depth.This updated and expanded 2nd edition includes:* A brand new chapter covering the period from 2000 to the present day* More local case studies, biographies, sketches of individuals and detail on individual countries* Historiographical updates throughout, as well as new passages and chapter subheadings for easier navigation* 30 images, several maps and a glossaryOf immense value to students and scholars alike, this is an essential text for anyone wanting to understand the human history of Eastern Europe in the last 70 years.

Eastern Europe since 1939 is a detailed exploration of the region’s history from the outbreak of the Second World War until now. Focusing on social history, the book examines life under the socialist dictatorships which dominated the region and how the legacy of these regimes has and, in some cases, has not shaped Eastern European societies in more recent times.The book takes a comparative approach in its analysis of key topics, such as the legacy of the Second World War, Stalinism, the 1989 revolutions and the post-socialist experience. It then masterfully places the turbulent political events in a wider social context so significant social subjects like gender, class, minorities, popular religion, culture and leisure can be discussed in depth.This updated and expanded 2nd edition includes:* A brand new chapter covering the period from 2000 to the present day* More local case studies, biographies, sketches of individuals and detail on individual countries* Historiographical updates throughout, as well as new passages and chapter subheadings for easier navigation* 30 images, several maps and a glossaryOf immense value to students and scholars alike, this is an essential text for anyone wanting to understand the human history of Eastern Europe in the last 70 years.

From the Vanguard to the Margins is dedicated to the work of the late British historian, Dr Mark Pittaway (1971-2010), a prominent scholar of post-war and contemporary Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Breaking with orthodox readings on Eastern bloc regimes, which remain wedded to the 'totalitarianism' paradigm of the Cold War era, the essays in this volume shed light on the contradictory historical and social trajectory of 'real socialism' in the region.