Iron Curtain : The Crushing of Eastern Europe by Anne Applebaum

Author : Anne Applebaum
Title : Iron Curtain :  The Crushing of East Europe
Published : 2012
Publisher : Penguin
Pages : 656
Genre : Non Fiction

     At the end of the Second World War, the Soviet Union unexpectedly found itself in control of a huge swathe of territory in Eastern Europe. Stalin and his secret police set out to convert a dozen radically different countries to a completely new political and moral system: Communism. Anne Applebaum's landmark history of this brutal time shows how societies were ruthlessly eviscerated by Communist regimes, how the opposition was destroyed and what life was like for ordinary people who had to choose whether to fight, to flee or to collaborate. A haunting reminder of how fragile freedom can be, Iron Curtain is an exceptional work of historical and moral reckoning.

     For me what took place behind the iron curtain is, for the most part, a complete mystery. I have seen a video of the Berlin wall coming down. But beyond this, I can't really say I know all that much. Of course, we have all been told that things for those countries where bad. It was an Idea that failed for the most part before it had ever started. Trying to unify a group of countries that had been taken over without there consent. As has become apparent by just flick through a few books, empires all ways collapse. Such a vast area being controlled by a single central government who lacked any understanding of these very individual countries. Communism I don't think ever really exists in the true sense of what it's founding fathers intended, someone always wants to be in control it's human nature.

     Applebaum started out with a very ambitious task ahead of her. How do you tell the history of so many countries within just six hundred-odd pages? So here is the thing, she doesn't. How could anyone without producing a very big book indeed? What I like is she focuses each chapter on a very big issue within this very big topic. These are key factors in why the whole thing came to a very bitter end. So within theses chapter, she pulls out the strand that most defined the topic. So while one bit may focus heavily on the struggles of polish field workers the next will be about a specific group within the Bulgarian political system. It works out well as all the little pieces we get to learn add up to show the much larger picture of what happened in those twelve years. 

     While we think of the sacking of Europe by the Nazi's as the most traumatic events to take place in recent years. You would be amiss to think that what Stalin started was any less methodical of viscous. What Applebaum taught me is that a great disservice was done to those countries in eastern Europe. For many in the west if became one giant joke. They were portrayed as people of lesser intelligence who let these things happen to them. But this book shines a light on the harsh realities of the day.  How those who did stand up and try and fight were crushed out of existence. You cannot be mistaken into thinking that any one of these people wished it open themselves. I am sure given half a chance these governments would have been overthrown and something far more just put in the place. The author has clearly spent a great deal of time researching the topic. Each moment is given the right amount of time to get her point over. I can't stress enough how much this book has taught me on a topic that no one these days seems to care about. It is a forgotten part of history, I can say if that is out of some guilt on the part of the west for doing nothing even though it was widely known by those in power or it is down to that fact that it bears little reality in the modern world. Although the way things are going in geopolitics it might just come screaming back to bite us all. 

     Overall I found this to be a great source on the subject. She delivers a usable text for anyone looking to learn just what it was like ion the other side of an invisible wall. I think any other author would struggle to beat it. Even having finished it I am left rattling my mind as to why it is not as widely known as what Hitler and his arms did.