European Revolution
The novel’s focus is on the massive revolutionary wave that spread in Central and Eastern Europe at the culmination of the 20th Century. Garton Ash accounts for the events from a subjective perspective on the upsurge of mass civil resistance towards a revolution starting with Poland in 1989. In which he covered its first free parliamentary elections that saw great victory by the trade union Solidarity. Moreover, being among the attendees in the revolutionary movements of Czechoslovakia. It chronicles the push for change against the one-party rule of the Eastern Bloc, which inspired several movements throughout the region. As an eyewitness to the unfolding of these changes, Ash reiterates the chain of events that occurred in Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, and Budapest.
Fall of Communism
The accounts center on the shift in political ideology that ran the Eastern Bloc as civil revolutions took hold through the region. Through support from the outside world, the campaigns for change from communist rule spread across the globe. Despite other failed revolutions, the European Revolution saw substantial positive results as several states became free from the rule and embraced democracy. The novel focuses on key events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and its global impact as the emblem of the end of the Soviet Union’s communist rule. Furthermore, Garton Ash comments on the aftereffects that would bring more than just shift in political ideologies but also state borders and social impact.
Formation of New Governments
The Revolution of 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe saw the formation, restoration, reunification of states that were under the Eastern Bloc. Democratic revolutions led to Free states such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. For instance, after the violent overthrowing of the Communist regime in Romania, it became a democratic free state. Moreover, the fall of the Berlin Wall allowed for the reunification of East and West Germany. The novel covers the aftermath that saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union as new states were formed in regions that seek independence. As a witness of these significant events, Garton Ash emphasizes on how various factors during this period allowed for new democratic governments to be formed.
