Poland and European East-West Cooperation in the 1970s: The Opening Up

This book explores the history of socialist Poland in the 1970s, highlighting its opening up to the West and its engagement with global and European developments. It demonstrates how the global political and economic transformations of the period influenced Poland's decision-making process and how the socialist elites played a role in shaping these transformations. The book explains the logic that drove the socialist regime into entanglement with the West, which ultimately led to its failure and the country's political and economic future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 20 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume provides an international perspective on the history of the Polish socialist regimes in the 1970s, exploring their opening up to the West and their engagement with global and European developments. It seamlessly connects Poland's socialist domestic history with critical events of the 1970s, including the thawing of the Cold War, the integration of Western Europe, and the rise of globalization. During this transformative era, socialist Poland, under the leadership of Edward Gierek, expanded its economic and political connections with capitalist countries, particularly Western Europe, and emerged as a key player in East-West cooperation within the framework of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Pact.

Drawing upon a wealth of sources from public and corporate archives across five European states, the book meticulously demonstrates the profound impact of global political and economic transformations on Poland's decision-making processes. It reveals that the national socialist elites played a significant role in shaping these transformations, contributing to the country's entanglement with the West. By examining the goals and expectations of the Polish socialist elites and their practices of political and economic exchanges with Western Europe, the book unravels the logic that drove the socialist regime into a complex web of relationships with the West.

As the book unfolds, it becomes evident that this entanglement proved to be inextricable, ultimately leading to the collapse of the socialist regime and shaping Poland's political and economic future. This insightful analysis offers valuable insights to students of European history, cold war studies, socialism studies, and International Relations, shedding light on the complex dynamics of a nation's engagement with the global sphere during a period of profound change.

Weight: 612g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032392165