Reviews for Beyond the Soviet Union: The Fragmentation of Power

The average rating for Beyond the Soviet Union: The Fragmentation of Power based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-01-18 00:00:00 John Seebeck A solid and even-handed history of the Serbian people from antiquity until the end of Yugoslavia. Who would've thought that such a small people would have such a grand idea of their historical destiny? The Greater Serbia ideology that led to the 1990s war has deep roots going back into medieval history. Serbia has seen itself as a repressed empire, but its attempt to enact its imperial project ended in disaster. The Serbs putative Russian friends along with other Europeans have frequently dismissed them as "barbarians", though at times they have also been upgraded to the status of noble savage. They have also suffered real oppression in their past, as a tower made of Serb skulls built by the Ottomans still standing in Niš can attest. The history sections could have used some editing but there was some really great reporting at the end of this book about the wars; unique stuff which is not easy to find elsewhere. The author strikes a good balance between condemning the psychopathic crimes of the Serbian paramilitary war machine and recognizing the suffering both historical and contemporary that Serbs have also undergone. It strongly comes across how avoidable the war was and how little it had been based on "ancient hatreds," although embers of such hatred did exist in enough abundance for unscrupulous politicians to fan them. A brief note about the cover to my edition: I found it unfair that a history of a people should be represented with an image of them as kidnapping bandits keeping blindfolded hostages. Although this is certainly a part of their history it seems a low way to sum it up, though I suppose it does capture the global perception of Serbia during the 1990s and to a lesser extent today.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-05-23 00:00:00 Gitte Pedersen A very decent and engaging book. Basically, it tells the story of the Serb nation over the past thousand years. But more than that, it ties historical facts - and myths - with contemporary events. It is amazing how seemingly distant and supposedly isolated (or insignificant) things can have such long-lasting effects. Of course, there's the struggle of Serbs against the Turks, the 19th century nationalism, the Balkan wars - a neverending series of them. In fact, the best way to summarize this book would be to call it The Balkan Boogaloo 3. The book purposefully focuses on Serbs, so in some cases, the perspective of other participants in the equation is missing. Even so, this is a fascianting read. Most of the material covers the post-WWII era, the Serb paradox under Tito, the build-up of nationalism, and then side by side with the wars of 1991-1995 and the Kosovo conflict, you also get a very interesting glimpse into the life of ordinary Serbs in Serbia in these times. Some of it simply feels too surreal - but here, the author's personal experience adds an entertaining if bizarre and sad flavors, as he has lived in Belgrade in that era, and witnesses the boogaloo first hand. Overall, it's a very decent read - there's lots of stuff that I've not seen covered elsewhere, it doesn't sugarcoat anything, and it gives a fairly balanced overview of the area and its war-happy nations. The most revealing thing is that whatever's been happening in the region in the past 20-odd years is absolutely nothing new - just the latest episode of old, unresolved issues. Alas, neither the Hapsburg nor the Ottoman Empire are around to blame anymore. Quite recommended. Igor