Why did the Socialist System Collapse in Central and Eastern European Countries?

In the book the author discusses the reasons for the collapse of the socialist system in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. He analyses the roles of economic and political factors and of the USSR. He concludes that the lack of legitimacy of the communist regime, the disintegration of the Communist Party and its ideology were at least as important reasons as increasing lag behind the West in technology and the declining standard of living.

Contenu

List of Tables - List of Abbreviations - Preface - Acknowledgements - PART 1: INTRODUCTION -Thoughts on the Causes of the Collapse of the Socialist System - PART 2: TRADITIONAL SYSTEM AND THE COLLAPSE - Traditional Economic Mechanism - Economic Policy -Labour-Management Relations and Incentives - Foreign Economic Relations - Political and Ideological Factors - PART 3: ECONOMIC REFORMS AND THE COLLAPSE - Economic Reforms -Development of the Economies - Ownership Relations - The Soviet Factor - CONCLUSIONS -Bibliography - Index