Eastern Europe has a rich history, from ancient tribes and kingdoms through medieval kingdoms and modern empires, which this course explores. Additionally, we will see how this history shapes today’s politics and economics of this region.
After declaring independence from Moscow, nations such as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania quickly made economic adjustments in line with Western European economies; yet these shifts came with demographic challenges associated with an ageing population.
Historical Background
Eastern Europe was once at the centre of Roman power, featuring ancient city-states such as Athens, Rome and Carthage which competed for supremacy across a large portion of the Mediterranean Basin. Furthermore, in early modern history this region witnessed early agriculture practices as well as developments such as metalworking techniques used for megalithic structures like Stonehenge.
The 20th century saw the fall of several large empires that once ruled Europe and its subsequent birth of new national entities. World War I altered Europe’s borders significantly while World War II saw Nazi Germany commit atrocities like their Holocaust. After WWII came Cold War, with Soviet Russia acting as a barrier between westerners and rest of continent.
Since 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated, newly independent states in Eastern Europe have been striving to make the transition from socialist economic models to capitalism. While their natural resources may be plentiful, high levels of poverty and unemployment hinder growth.
Following the Cold War, Eastern Europe became defined less by geographical considerations and more by political and cultural forces; as such, its characteristics became less easy to categorize and identify. This has made its “Eastern Europeanness” harder to pin down and more subjectively definable.
Eastern Europe refers to nations that were previously communist states; some definitions, however, include countries that ceased communism prior to 1989 but remain so today. Unfortunately, however, this definition overlooks the fact that many former communist nations now belong to the EU and thus have different relationships to Western Europe compared with what existed prior to its dissolution.
Problems surrounding Eastern Europe are further complicated by its shifting geographical borders, with geographers often disagreeing about where its center should lie. Academic books dedicated to this subject often contain chapters on nations spanning as far apart as Dresden (Germany) and Rakhiv (Ukraine), creating confusion for readers trying to determine what exactly constitutes an Eastern European nation.
Demographics
Eastern European nations, like many parts of Europe, are suffering population losses as birth rates decrease and massive outmigration takes place. While Western Europe has been helped by immigration that provides some protection from low fertility rates, eastern european nations face the opposite outcome.
Demographers predict all eastern european nations to experience rapidly declining populations, particularly Bulgaria, Ukraine and Poland which are expected to lose over 60% of their current populations under standard variant projections. Romania and Latvia should fare slightly better. Reasons behind such dramatic demographic losses in eastern europe may include an accelerated second demographic transition that was caused by forced industrialization and urbanization from mid-20th century onwards; anti-abortion campaigns; as well as increasing female empowerment and education.
As a result of these developments, female employment rates climbed from around 40% in the 1950s to 80% by 2000s – contributing significantly to reduced birth rates – as fertility declined from 2.05 children per woman during 1970s fertility to 0.91 in early 2010s fertility. Trends predicted for continuation into 2020s with average life expectancies at birth expected to reach 109 in 2023.
But, despite these demographic challenges, Eastern European nations will likely avoid experiencing sharp population declines like many other parts of the world. Their standard of living and incomes likely explain why migration flows have not increased as quickly.
Some governments in the region are turning to financial incentives in an attempt to boost birth rates, such as Poland’s Law and Justice Party with their family policy that provides women with $130 a month per child and state support for childcare and schooling expenses. Unfortunately, this strategy has yet to be widely employed so reversing its trend may prove challenging.
Culture
Through history, Eastern Europe has been home to diverse peoples and cultures that have all left their imprint on its language, food, religion, traditions, architecture and more. Germanic tribes, Slavic peoples and Central Asian Turkic tribes all contributed to the richness of its culture; throughout this course you’ll explore how these various influences created such a special and diverse region.
Even in its economic difficulties, Eastern Europe remains home to a rich and vibrant culture that draws visitors from across the globe. Magnificent architecture and ancient ruins, well-preserved natural habitats and great appreciation of arts make Eastern Europe worth visiting.
Even after the Iron Curtain has fallen, differences still exist between Western and Eastern Europe. Fewer Eastern Europeans than Western Europeans welcome Muslims into their families or neighborhoods, extend equal marriage rights to gay couples or allow legal abortion; moreover, East Europeans tend to view Russia as their primary foreign policy rival than their Western European counterparts.
Eastern Europe’s history of oppressive governments and communist rule has left its mark on culture, leading to mistrust of Westerners. Yet some countries are making progress in distancing themselves from this view of life outside their country’s borders; you will gain insights into this topic as you study Eastern Europe as it strives towards becoming an open and prosperous society.
Eastern European cuisine is both hearty and luscious, featuring dishes created from fresh ingredients sourced from fertile farmlands. Butter, milk, yogurt and sour cream from these farms is used in soups, dumplings and pastries; fish is regularly found along the many lakes and rivers found throughout Eastern Europe; root vegetables including cabbage, carrot, turnip and potato are a mainstay, with regular meals usually consisting of three courses (soup, main dish and dessert) served at tables and kept close at hand for easy consumption! All courses may be followed by coffee or tea afterwards if desired!
Economy
Eastern Europe economies remain in transition from socialist to capitalist models, leading to high unemployment rates across many of its countries and some experiencing economic stagnation. At the same time, however, some are developing rapidly while some have made strides toward joining the European Union.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were among the first Baltic states to gain independence following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, quickly turning toward Western Europe for trade and development opportunities. Other Eastern European nations quickly followed suit and have since cut ties with Moscow and former Communist regime.
Privatization poses a unique challenge to governments of former Soviet bloc nations, who must deal with thousands of state-owned enterprises that were established for Soviet markets that have since collapsed. By privatizing them, new decisions can be made regarding restructuring and modernizing operations rather than continuing on with old practices that don’t match modern realities.
Eastern Europe faces many difficulties beyond economic issues, including decreasing working-age populations due to declining birth rates and emigration, which will reduce available labour by 10 million by 2050 – making it harder for countries in Eastern Europe to keep pace with today’s increasingly globalized economy.
Even amid these economic worries, some Eastern European nations should see significant growth this year. Poland leads the pack in Eastern European growth projections; wiiw projects its economy to expand by 2.6% this year and 3.1% next year. Visegrad countries of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary should also experience around 2.5 percent growth this year along with Southeastern European EU members Romania and Croatia whose economic expansion will also benefit from funds coming into these nations from Covid-19 Recovery Fund inflows.