Synopses & Reviews
While the dissident movements of Eastern Europe were abandoning communism in pursuit of visions of liberal democracy, the East German movement continued to struggle for reform within the communist movement. In
East German Dissidents and the Revolution of 1989, Christian Joppke explains this anomaly in compelling narrative detail. He argues that the peculiarities of German history and culture prevented the possibility of a national opposition to communism. Lured by the regime's proclaimed antifascism, East German dissidents had to remain in a paradoxical way loyal to the opposed regime.
The definitive study of East German opposition, Joppke's work also presents an overview of opposition in communist systems in general, providing both a model of social movements within Leninist regimes and a balance to current revisionist histories of the GDR. East German Dissidents and the Revolution of 1989 will be of interest to scholars and students of social movements, revolution, German politics and society, the East European transformation, and communist systems.
Review
"Christian Joppke's study of the East German dissidents deserves to be a classic in political sociology. The author's mastery of the relevant theoretical literature is dazzling. Add to this his meticulous research and complete command of a complex empirical case, and you have all the ingredients for a truly exceptional book. Joppke's work is as relevant to the student of modern Germany as it is to those interested in the comparative politics of social movements, the European left and nationalism. Rarely have I seen a case study of such far-reaching theoretical as well as political implication as Joppke's." -Andrei S. Markovits,Professor and Chair Board of Studies in Politics University of California, Santa Cruz
Review
"An excellent book. Joppke not only succeeds in presenting a very nuanced, and clearly written, account of the social and intellectual forces that led to the GDR's fall. He also provides an admirable synthesis of much of what we know about the East European expression of Leninism, from the big experiments of the 1950s to the big bang of 1989." -A. James McAdams,University of Notre Dame
Synopsis
While the dissident movements of Eastern Europe were abandoning communism in pursuit of visions of liberal democracy, the East German movement continued to struggle for reform within the communist movement. In East German Dissidents and the Revolution of 1989, Christian Joppke explains this anomaly in compelling narrative detail. He argues that the peculiarities of German history and culture prevented the possibility of a national opposition to communism. Lured by the regime's proclaimed antifascism, East German dissidents had to remain in a paradoxical way loyal to the opposed regime.
The definitive study of East German opposition, Joppke's work also presents an overview of opposition in communist systems in general, providing both a model of social movements within Leninist regimes and a balance to current revisionist histories of the GDR. East German Dissidents and the Revolution of 1989 will be of interest to scholars and students of social movements, revolution, German politics and society, the East European transformation, and communist systems.
Synopsis
This Major Reference series brings together a wide range of key international articles in law and legal theory. Many of these essays are not readily accessible, and their presentation in these volumes will provide a vital new resource for both research and teaching. Each volume is edited by leading international authorities who explain the significance and context of articles in an informative and complete introduction.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-269) and index.
About the Author
Christian Joppke is Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Southern California and the author of Mobilizing Against Nuclear Energy: A Comparison of Germany and the United States.