Introduction
Prior to any readings, I knew, or remembered, very little about the history of Central Europe. Growing up in school, and even during my time spent here at Ohio University, I've briefly learned about the many empires, wars, and cultures that came out of this part of the world in various history classes. However, I cannot recall why certain events actually happened, or how ideas and norms became apart of these and other societies across the world.
Prior to any readings, I knew, or remembered, very little about the history of Central Europe. Growing up in school, and even during my time spent here at Ohio University, I've briefly learned about the many empires, wars, and cultures that came out of this part of the world in various history classes. However, I cannot recall why certain events actually happened, or how ideas and norms became apart of these and other societies across the world.
We all know about the beauty of Europe as a whole and some of the many advancements, and struggles, they've been apart of or have had to endure. But what is the story behind these many nations? How did they become what they are today? These are the kind of questions whose answers I will be looking for during the duration of this course.
Many outsiders only pay attention to certain countries in Europe such as France or Britain, but don't really care to know about others such as Germany, Poland, or Hungary. Unfortunately, I am one of those outsiders. The reason I wanted to take this class is so I knew more about the structure in this region of the world, and so I wasn't ignorant to what was going on . If by the end of this semester I have gained some sort of understanding about the relationships between more European nations, both big and small, and see how peoples of different nationalities are able or not able to coexist, I will have feel a sense of accomplishment.
Ingrao and Deak's Insight
After reading Charles Ingrao's article and Istvan Deak's reaction on his perspective, it is very evident that Central Europe is divided within it's region, which stems from a history of a great amount of tension and misunderstanding between nations, both withing the region and outside the continent. With Central Europe serving as the distinct split between Western and Eastern Europe, we come to realize how geopolitics and building up one's state has caused upheaval in this area.
The two historians in some ways agree on what's caused certain issues, recognizing that Western influences or the lack thereof have differentiated the Western and Eastern sides of Europe. According to Piots S. Wandycz's The Price of Freedom, historians have also adopted a cultural-religious criterion to why one side evolved more quickly compared to the other. However, Ingrao and Deak have opposing views as far as why or how western practices, more specifically those from the United States, have often furthered issues within this territory as well.
Culture clash, economic hardships and differences among ethnic, religious and racial groups all play part. Multiethinicity and population changes have forced individuals from all backgrounds to have to tolerate one another, but groups always strive to gain more power over another. Dominance has been fought for since the medieval times during the Roman empire, and still is being fought for today. As we begin to look back into time, we see the shift in power and how it has set the stage for the Central Europe of today.
Ingrao and Deak's Insight
After reading Charles Ingrao's article and Istvan Deak's reaction on his perspective, it is very evident that Central Europe is divided within it's region, which stems from a history of a great amount of tension and misunderstanding between nations, both withing the region and outside the continent. With Central Europe serving as the distinct split between Western and Eastern Europe, we come to realize how geopolitics and building up one's state has caused upheaval in this area.
The two historians in some ways agree on what's caused certain issues, recognizing that Western influences or the lack thereof have differentiated the Western and Eastern sides of Europe. According to Piots S. Wandycz's The Price of Freedom, historians have also adopted a cultural-religious criterion to why one side evolved more quickly compared to the other. However, Ingrao and Deak have opposing views as far as why or how western practices, more specifically those from the United States, have often furthered issues within this territory as well.
Culture clash, economic hardships and differences among ethnic, religious and racial groups all play part. Multiethinicity and population changes have forced individuals from all backgrounds to have to tolerate one another, but groups always strive to gain more power over another. Dominance has been fought for since the medieval times during the Roman empire, and still is being fought for today. As we begin to look back into time, we see the shift in power and how it has set the stage for the Central Europe of today.
