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Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends
This historical survey of Central Europe covers a region that encompasses contemporary Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Now in its second edition, Central Enemies, Neighbors, Friends contains a new epilogue-updated to cover events
since 1995-and several redesigned or updated maps. Each chapter is thematically organized around issues or events that are important in helping students develop an understanding of the region's internal dynamics. Johnson illuminates the competing religious, cultural, economic, national, and
ideological interests that have driven the history of Central Europe. Thorough, objective, and focused, Johnson's work stands out as both a useful core text covering an area of growing interest and a brilliant account of a region that is only just beginning to receive the attention it
deserves.
since 1995-and several redesigned or updated maps. Each chapter is thematically organized around issues or events that are important in helping students develop an understanding of the region's internal dynamics. Johnson illuminates the competing religious, cultural, economic, national, and
ideological interests that have driven the history of Central Europe. Thorough, objective, and focused, Johnson's work stands out as both a useful core text covering an area of growing interest and a brilliant account of a region that is only just beginning to receive the attention it
deserves.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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304 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 11, 2014
During the 1980s, Czech-born writer Milan Kundera defined Central Europe as "that ... part of Europe situated geographically in the center, culturally in the West, and politically in the East." As far as most Americans are concerned, it is "flyover country" -- somewhere between Germany and Russia.
Consequently it is refreshing to read a history of the part of the world from which my family comes without being overwhelmed either by Germany or Russia. It is a separate place, which unfortunately is positioned between two behemoths that, especially in the last hundred years, have treated it as silly putty.
Lonnie R. Johnson in CENTRAL EUROPE: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends has performed a useful function in describing how a dozen small countries have managed to perform a dance at the edge of the abyss without plummeting. Also, it is useful to view both Germany and Russia from the point of view of the Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans rather than vice versa.
Johnson starts pretty much at the beginning, during the Dark Ages, and deals with changes in the formation and de-formation of countries over the years. Although we Americans do not, by and large, purchase goods from this part of the world, I have always believed that its time has not yet come. It would be nice to think that all those small Slavic and Finno-Ugrian (in the case of Estonia and Hungary) nations have in their possession the seed that will eventually grow into works of genius and perhaps even prosperity.
Consequently it is refreshing to read a history of the part of the world from which my family comes without being overwhelmed either by Germany or Russia. It is a separate place, which unfortunately is positioned between two behemoths that, especially in the last hundred years, have treated it as silly putty.
Lonnie R. Johnson in CENTRAL EUROPE: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends has performed a useful function in describing how a dozen small countries have managed to perform a dance at the edge of the abyss without plummeting. Also, it is useful to view both Germany and Russia from the point of view of the Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans rather than vice versa.
Johnson starts pretty much at the beginning, during the Dark Ages, and deals with changes in the formation and de-formation of countries over the years. Although we Americans do not, by and large, purchase goods from this part of the world, I have always believed that its time has not yet come. It would be nice to think that all those small Slavic and Finno-Ugrian (in the case of Estonia and Hungary) nations have in their possession the seed that will eventually grow into works of genius and perhaps even prosperity.
May 21, 2014
"Historical memory, the presence of a past that is so remote that it bears little or no resemblance to the so-called realities of the contemporary world, is an important Central European attribute. History in this part of the world is epic and tragic; small nations frequently have struggled against larger ones and lost regularly. The past consists of inexcusable transgressions and missed opportunities; The present is filled with unfinished business of the past; and the future is a chance finally to rectify a historical record that has been inauspicious at best and unjust at worst. Developing a sense for what could be called the subjective dimension of Central Europe--the (usually pretty good) stories Central European peoples tell about themselves and the (usually pretty bad) ones they tell about their neighbors-is important to understanding the region. Some of the problems Central Europeans have with themselves and with one another are related to the fact that their history haunts them."
June 29, 2012
Lonnie Johnson’s book on the history of Central Europe provides an overview of the region and how it came into its modern existence. The book focuses on Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic with some attention on the Baltic States, Slovakia and southern Europe as it relates to the main topic. From the earliest days of the crusades to the fall of the Berlin Wall the reader is given an overview of the key moments in the history of this area and how it reshaped relations. It is an ambitious book given the succinct nature and a great punch is packed on each page. My main criticism is that too much time is spent on Germany and I had purchased this to learn more about the other countries of Central Europe. While events in Germany shaped this region it was done from primarily a German perspective as opposed to what I would have classified as a true central European perspective. For those looking for a good overview on the region you cannot go wrong with this book but if you are looking for details on the history of these countries probably best to read elsewhere.
March 13, 2023
Very informative book focused on the history of a geographic area that most Americans (myself included) know little about. While the boundaries of Central Europe are (according to the author) fairly nebulous, in the the main we are talking about the area ruled by the Hapsburgs, the Hohenzollern and Romanov's who ruled respectively Austria, Prussia and Russia. These three kingdoms spend hundreds of years conquering, losing and trading many smaller kingdoms and groups of people in Central and Eastern Europe.
The author expertly describes this give and take over the centuries and the difficulties this caused for the ethnic people caught in these ruling family's machinations. Most interesting was each of these people's "story". How they viewed their own history and their longing for independence. Some ethnic groups waited a thousand years for their independence. It goes a long way in helping understand recent tensions in Central/Eastern Europe and the ethnic cleansing which occcurred.
The author expertly describes this give and take over the centuries and the difficulties this caused for the ethnic people caught in these ruling family's machinations. Most interesting was each of these people's "story". How they viewed their own history and their longing for independence. Some ethnic groups waited a thousand years for their independence. It goes a long way in helping understand recent tensions in Central/Eastern Europe and the ethnic cleansing which occcurred.
February 23, 2011
This is a superb history of Central Europe that I feel should be required reading for any student of history - but especially of European History. It places Germany and Austria in their proper context - as part of Central Europe (not as part of a Cold War - biassed - division of Europe into simply East and West) and thus paints a picture of the complex historical interaction of German and Slav, Protestant and Christian (not forgetting the Magyar, Ottoman and Orthodox contribution and involvement). If you thought you knew and understood European History - think again!
February 22, 2016
central europe? it's got so many different kinds of good coffee, you won't know what hit you, even if you read this first.
September 2, 2023
Surprisingly great! Made me appreciate the extent to which my history education has been teleological – assuming that the post-WWII global order is the natural state of affairs and seeing history as just the tale of how we got there. Places that were behind the Iron Curtain in the 20th century always seemed like “Eastern Europe” – but this book makes clear that this eastward orientation was an aberration. In the very first chapter, we see how Europe east of the Roman Empire was Christianized partly by the Catholic Church, partly by the Orthodox Church – and that dividing line produced different cultural orientations that persist even to today. Central Europe (modern-day Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, and eastern Germany, as well as Lithuania, Slovenia, western Romania and Ukraine) was the Catholic portion of that area – making it the easternmost part of Western Europe, not the western frontier of Eastern Europe. Later, as the Ottoman Empire expanded in the Balkans, Central Europe became the “bulwark of Christendom” – and nowadays it’s reassumed that role in a secular context, policing the external frontiers of the Schengen area.
Johnson does a good job explaining the evolution of Central Europe’s political entities over time. Multi-ethnic, multilingual empires were the norm for many centuries, first dominated by Poland, Hungary, and Bohemia, then by the Habsburgs and the Prussians. In this more cosmopolitan era, German settlers spread east, bringing the technology and culture of Western Europe with them, contributing to a west-to-east gradient of development that persists to this day. But the rise of nationalism in the 19th century sought to impose cartographical order onto this patchwork of people and cultures. Multinational empires like Austria-Hungary fractured, the dozens of German states coalesced, wars redrew the map, and mass expulsions in the wake of WWII finally produced a collection of small, relatively homogenous nation-states.
It was also compelling to hear about familiar parts of history – the world wars and Cold War – from a Central European perspective and as the outcome of previous history, rather than as the starting point of contemporary geopolitics. I’ve heard plenty about WWII from an American perspective, but I felt like I gained a much deeper understanding of the war as a Central European phenomenon – the roots of German expansionism, the early success of the German war effort, degrees of collaboration and complicity among Central European countries. It was interesting, for example, that because of the Hungarian regime’s halfhearted collaboration, Nazi policies weren’t enforced as strictly as they were in countries that Germany occupied, and Hungary’s Jewish population was protected (relatively speaking) until Germany took control of the country in March 1944.
I also thought Johnson did a great job stepping away from chronology at times to talk about the long ripples of history. He shows Central Europe as a place where centuries of history still feel current and relevant – for example, Bohemia was an independent kingdom from the 13th century, but in the 17th century it was absorbed into the Habsburg Empire, with its nobility suppressed after an attempted uprising. Johnson talks about how the absence of an indigenous nobility to lead the development of a Czech national identity in the age of nationalism produced a more democratic, egalitarian, and pragmatic political spirit than in countries like Poland and Hungary, whose nobility survived into the 19th century. At the same time, having an independent kingdom in their national history caused Czechs to view themselves as a people with a proud history, while they saw their linguistic cousins the Slovaks as a “subject nation” with “no history” – prejudice which contributed to the Velvet Divorce of Czechoslovakia in 1993. (It’s probably fair to say that there are some generalizations here – but I think that’s inevitable and necessary in a book of this scope, and it’d be a lot less compelling if it had too much hemming and hawing.)
A really enjoyable read overall. The writing is a bit dry at times (but not miserably academic, at least), and the final chapter takes a different tack than the rest of the book (lots of economic data) that’s less compelling, so couldn’t quite give it 5 stars, but it’s a solid 4.
Johnson does a good job explaining the evolution of Central Europe’s political entities over time. Multi-ethnic, multilingual empires were the norm for many centuries, first dominated by Poland, Hungary, and Bohemia, then by the Habsburgs and the Prussians. In this more cosmopolitan era, German settlers spread east, bringing the technology and culture of Western Europe with them, contributing to a west-to-east gradient of development that persists to this day. But the rise of nationalism in the 19th century sought to impose cartographical order onto this patchwork of people and cultures. Multinational empires like Austria-Hungary fractured, the dozens of German states coalesced, wars redrew the map, and mass expulsions in the wake of WWII finally produced a collection of small, relatively homogenous nation-states.
It was also compelling to hear about familiar parts of history – the world wars and Cold War – from a Central European perspective and as the outcome of previous history, rather than as the starting point of contemporary geopolitics. I’ve heard plenty about WWII from an American perspective, but I felt like I gained a much deeper understanding of the war as a Central European phenomenon – the roots of German expansionism, the early success of the German war effort, degrees of collaboration and complicity among Central European countries. It was interesting, for example, that because of the Hungarian regime’s halfhearted collaboration, Nazi policies weren’t enforced as strictly as they were in countries that Germany occupied, and Hungary’s Jewish population was protected (relatively speaking) until Germany took control of the country in March 1944.
I also thought Johnson did a great job stepping away from chronology at times to talk about the long ripples of history. He shows Central Europe as a place where centuries of history still feel current and relevant – for example, Bohemia was an independent kingdom from the 13th century, but in the 17th century it was absorbed into the Habsburg Empire, with its nobility suppressed after an attempted uprising. Johnson talks about how the absence of an indigenous nobility to lead the development of a Czech national identity in the age of nationalism produced a more democratic, egalitarian, and pragmatic political spirit than in countries like Poland and Hungary, whose nobility survived into the 19th century. At the same time, having an independent kingdom in their national history caused Czechs to view themselves as a people with a proud history, while they saw their linguistic cousins the Slovaks as a “subject nation” with “no history” – prejudice which contributed to the Velvet Divorce of Czechoslovakia in 1993. (It’s probably fair to say that there are some generalizations here – but I think that’s inevitable and necessary in a book of this scope, and it’d be a lot less compelling if it had too much hemming and hawing.)
A really enjoyable read overall. The writing is a bit dry at times (but not miserably academic, at least), and the final chapter takes a different tack than the rest of the book (lots of economic data) that’s less compelling, so couldn’t quite give it 5 stars, but it’s a solid 4.
December 6, 2018
This is a complex book written by an expert academic. The complexity arises form one simple fact; the history he writes about is very complex. With that in mind, I found this a fascinating, though far from "|easy" read. Having said that, precise use of language and careful reading pay huge dividends when exploring the past of this intriguing region, through all its turmoil and change. At present, I would not regard myself as expert enough in the field to express a useful opinion on balance, coverage, and so forth. All I can say, is that i am much better informed and have happily begun reading around the topics discussed. The book inspired me to search further and to look behind the broad sweep and the sharp insights.
April 21, 2014
A thorough yet easy read on the often troubled history of a region that is vitally important in understanding the overall history of Europe. This book is impressive in its scope while maintaining an excellent clarity throughout. would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Central European history in general and in particular to anyone interested in the conflicts that affected Europe in the first half of the twentieth century, as arguably this book demonstrates that they disproportionately affected the countries in this region and certainly with regards the second world war were in part caused by the formations of new countries in this region.
December 5, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I always wanted to understand y my ancestors came and what they lived through. I liked the format, not too detailed to make it long, but just good overview. The only thing I didn't care, the period from about WW1 to current. There was some good stuff, but I think this is the period when the oligarchs started controlling the history narrative. For example, western bankers put the bolsheviks in power, wiped out of history by this book and MSM. After this period, the history books are leaving out reality for a controlled narrative.
August 17, 2021
Johnson's book is a comprehensive history of nations in Central Europe from Roman times up until the latter portions of the twentieth century. I would by no means label it as exhaustive, but it is a good overall basis on the cultures, politics, religion, and history of Central Europe. Johnson is also careful whilst defining Central Europe, and lists various theories as to what the term actually means, and how particular nations view it as well as themselves in relation to their neighbours. Quite a bit of attention is given to Germany, as it has interacted with many of the smaller nations between it and what became Russia for many years. Many theories are given as to interpreting many of the events and exchanges that occurred between Germany (and other major nations, such as the USSR) and other smaller nations, which I appreciated. I think Johnson does an excellent job at portraying the grand scheme of this region's history, i.e., how ancient events build on each other and result in further events that occurred later in history. It is a relatively easy read, with helpful footnotes that provide both explanations and further reading suggestions, as well as an index.
I have annotated this book quite a bit, picking up on topics that pique my interest, namely the distinction between the terms "patriotism" and "nationalism," which Johnson only lightly touches on. Of course, in such a comprehensive book, one cannot cover everything. A previous professor of mine, though, was right to point out that Johnson left out virtually everything about Jews in Danzig (Gdańsk, a city he focuses some time on, suitably), a crucial minority in the area. Nonetheless, I regard it as an excellent starting point for readers interested in the general history and culture of Central Europe.
I have annotated this book quite a bit, picking up on topics that pique my interest, namely the distinction between the terms "patriotism" and "nationalism," which Johnson only lightly touches on. Of course, in such a comprehensive book, one cannot cover everything. A previous professor of mine, though, was right to point out that Johnson left out virtually everything about Jews in Danzig (Gdańsk, a city he focuses some time on, suitably), a crucial minority in the area. Nonetheless, I regard it as an excellent starting point for readers interested in the general history and culture of Central Europe.
September 6, 2025
Johnson's history of Central Europe was a great way to finish my preparation for my visit - that is now just days away. Because I will not be going to Germany, Poland, or Russia on this trip, I skipped over some of the sections dealing exclusively with those locales, and focused on Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, and Serbia.
Because the book was published in 1996 it paints an incomplete picture. Johnson's final chapter is somewhat of a cliff-hanger -- how will Central Europe reshape itself after the fall of the Soviet Union? So much has happened since then! But for the hundreds of years before that Enemies, Neighbors, Friends does such a great job of explaining this region's complex history.
The author's overall theme is an exploration of what Central Europe means. The borders of each individual country have changed so significantly over the years, as has their orientation vis a vis east and west. There have been massive resettlements of ethnic groups, religious and cultural transformations, and governmental upheavals. With the 19th century rise of nationalism it became increasingly difficult for the entities of Central Europe to hold together. This gave me a better understanding of the challenges the area faced through the late 1990s and early 2000s, and continue to struggle with today.
4 stars.
Because the book was published in 1996 it paints an incomplete picture. Johnson's final chapter is somewhat of a cliff-hanger -- how will Central Europe reshape itself after the fall of the Soviet Union? So much has happened since then! But for the hundreds of years before that Enemies, Neighbors, Friends does such a great job of explaining this region's complex history.
The author's overall theme is an exploration of what Central Europe means. The borders of each individual country have changed so significantly over the years, as has their orientation vis a vis east and west. There have been massive resettlements of ethnic groups, religious and cultural transformations, and governmental upheavals. With the 19th century rise of nationalism it became increasingly difficult for the entities of Central Europe to hold together. This gave me a better understanding of the challenges the area faced through the late 1990s and early 2000s, and continue to struggle with today.
4 stars.
May 27, 2021
Declaring this book read as I am doubtful I'll be able to finish it at any point soon. Made it to p. 324 in the 2011 edition at the Reference Library, which is a non-circulating copy. I started reading this book ahead of our Fall 2019 trip to Central Europe. I didn't quite finish it, so I continued to read it upon my return on my lunch breaks during work into February 2020 before the pandemic happened. I really enjoy the writing style and how the author starts over a millenia ago, describing the geography of the region and it's impacts on the history.
July 10, 2017
Having always ready history from a Western European perspective, it was fascinating to review (and greatly supplement) my historical knowledge by putting Central European countries at the center of the narrative. If you are looking for a book that will help jog your historical memory but also offer new insight and perspectives, this is an excellent choice. It is an extremely impressive work, as it manages to hit the nail on the head for both breadth and depth.
June 12, 2017
I read this book in advance of a trip to Central Europe. I was hoping to get some historical background for some of the places I'd be visiting, and this book certainly delivered. It ended up being much more detail than I felt I needed, but if you're looking for a history of the region, this must be one of the best sources.
January 26, 2018
Central Europe's history is a mess! I don't know why any one would draw up a map of those countries because it was constantly changing. I only read the last 1/3 of the book, from WW11 to the present day. This book made me feel like I was back in college and reads like a text book, very dry. I have a better understanding of communism.
Want to read
May 21, 2024About 90% sure I read the first edition of this in about 2010 - not long before I got goodreads. Have been meaning to find it again for years but was thrown off by the new cover on the second edition.
March 5, 2025
This book came out quite a while ago, so it isn’t up-to-date, but it is a thorough overview up to the early 1990s, and has some perspectives and information completely new to me. I thought this was a very interesting look at European history.
April 12, 2020
Recommended reading for travel to Eastern Europe by Rick Steves. I learned a lot!
July 2, 2021
If you're a nerd (ahem) for history, I found this a great read before visiting Vienna/Budapest/Prague for the first time.
May 25, 2022
Quite an excellent book for a better understanding of Central Europe. It show that past history is relevant to shaping relationships today.
Read
September 12, 2024Interesting. Great to have some background before a trip to the area.
April 8, 2015
Accessible history of Central Europe in easily digested country by country chapters. Takeaway: 20th Century style nationalism - forming countries based on ethnicity or some vague claim of a people's historical borders - did not solve the centuries old problem of abuse at the hands of the two abutting superpowers, Russia and Germany.
October 6, 2016
An exceptionally well-written book about a very narrow topic - proof that any history book can be good if well-written.
May 4, 2008
Great survey of the region.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews