The Reconstruction of Nations

Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999

By: Timothy Snyder

Narrated by: Rich Miller

From the bestselling author of On Tyranny comes a revealing history of the four modern national ideas that arose from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Modern nationalism in northeastern Europe has often led to violence and then reconciliation between nations with bloody pasts. In this fascinating book, Timothy Snyder traces the emergence of Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and Belarusian nationhood over four centuries, discusses various atrocities (including the first account of the massive Ukrainian-Polish ethnic cleansings of the 1940s), and examines Poland's recent successful negotiations with its newly independent Eastern neighbors, as it has channeled national interest toward peace.

©2003 Yale University (P)2022 Tantor

Required reading despite being 20 years old

This is a brilliantly analytical account of the historical process that produced the image of Eastern European that I grew up with in 1950s America. It blew my mind to learn that the countries and peoples of Eastern Europe had been completely remade between 1940 and 1945. Snyder wisely roots this story in the period 1569 to 1940 and bravely takes on their complicated transitions after 1989 with the end of the USSR. Astonishing how prescient his judgment was about the importance of Ukraine and other 1990s European developments. Required reading for citizens of the 21st century, especially Americans.

The questions that history poses oblige us to respond. Will we do so mindfully? or blindly imitate our forebearers?

Is ethnic cleansing caused by nationalism? or does ethnic cleansing nationalise populations?
Can nation states come to terms with such history? Can the demands of modern nationalist ideas so brutally expressed by ethnic cleansing find a oeaceful articulation? These are the questions that the 1940's leave for us to ponder.

Comprehensive detail of north eastern europe

Wow. A little monotonous, but so much info I had never known. Really gives insight into the complexity of history in this part of the world

Great historical context for current events

Timothy Snyder is a great historian and storyteller. I discovered him over the last couple of years due to his commentary on Ukraine. I prefer to hear him reading his own books, but this narrator is excellent as well, and takes nothing away from the material. I would love to hear an update on these areas from him since time has passed and the West is taking new interest as their national projects continue.

Review

Very thorough with more detail the general reader needs. 6 more words required. One two.

Unbiased look at history of Ukraine and Lithuania

This book could be written only by Professor Snyder - the best and, most importantly, impartial historian of Eastern Europe. The included information about historical figures and events presented in a way to reveal the complex, often competing and sometimes directly conflicting interests of Poles, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Jews, Russians, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics and Orthodox Christians and their elites who lived on the territory that comprises modern states of Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. Out of this relationship and out of this competition came modern Ukrainian and Lithuanian nations and states. They appeared on the borderlands between large, more powerful states, and those states and empires competition, sometimes unwillingly, helped with formation of nations. Would Vilnius become a Lithuanian city and capital without Stalin's order to relocate Poles and Holocaust ? Would Ukrainian identity be so strong among eastern Ukrainians without Lenin's and early Stalin's policy of Ukrainization in 1920's ? Would Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or Austria-Hungary survive if they reformed and adapted to share their states with Ukrainians ? Why Ukrainians and Lithuanians saw Poland as their mortal enemy in 1920's ? Why policies of ethnic cleansing were adopted and implemented with horrible brutality ? Was there ever a room for compromises ? This book implies that modern nations come into being after successful self-identification, mobilization of people and bloody struggle or war. That is what described so brilliantly by Dr. Snyder. Yet there are examples of United States and formation of European Union. So there is a question that remain : will be there always a world of competition and conflict between nations or there is another way where cooperation between all people takes place to the benefit of all ?

How the past doesn’t need to predict the present and future

Educational and eye opening. I was particularly interested in the sections discussing how the unraveling of the Soviet Union encouraged Poland to take the leadership in recognizing existing frontiers and propelled the development of democracy and pluralism in the rest of Eastern Europe, bar Russia. Enlightening and encouraging about the future of the nations involved.

Phenomenal

Amazingly detailed history of Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. Understanding this history helps to understand current geopolitical state of affairs in the region.

just a text book

just a textbook, no real story to help you take in all the facts, no cohesiveness.