Czechoslovakia between Stalin and Hitler

Reviews / Votes

Professor Lukes' book is one of the most important and interesting studies of the events which led to W.W. II. His study of the Czechoslovak crisis of 1938 is bolstered by the hither-to secret documents released recently by Moscow and Prague. It throws an intriguing light on the Soviet Union's role in the crisis as well as a number of other important questions that could not be resolved by historians until now. * Adam B. Ulam, Gurney Professor of History and Political Science, Harvard University * Mr. Lukes's treatise about the unfortunate country caught in the tongs handled by the two bloodiest dictators of Europe, brings to the story the fresh approach of an author unburdened with political affiliations or sympathies which often limit researchers of older generations. * Josef Skvorecyy, University of Toronto (emeritus) * This important study, based on hitherto inaccessible archival materials, seeks to reappraise Czechoslovak diplomacy in the late 1930s particularly toward the Soviet Union and Germany. It also offers a revisionist interpretation of soviet policies. In a fascinating presentation of crucial international events the author demolishes old cliches and exposes biased accounts; the book is not only a valuable contribution to history but is written in a way which retains the undivided attention of the reader. * Piotr S. Wandycz, Yale University * This by far the best treatment of the topic and it is also one of the best monographs dealing with the diplomacy of any one of the small European states that were in the thirties sandwiched between Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Third Reich....Groundbreaking and exemplary. * Dr. Antonin Klimek, Military Historical Institute and Charles University, Prague * A marvellous piece of work. Mercifully free of jargon and systems-speak, the book explores the foreign policy of the First Czechoslovak Republic from its creation in 1918 to its demise in 1938. The narrative focuses on the role of Foreign Minister Benes, but the book is really about the ways in which Czechoslovakia tried to survive in a terrible neighborhood, one that included not only the tyrants Hitler and Stalin, but avaricious smaller neighbors, like Poland and Hungary...Professor Lukes' book is one of the most important and interesting studies of the events which led to W.W. II. His study of the Czechoslovak crisis of 1938 is bolstered by the hither-to secret documents released recently by Moscow and Prague. It throws an intriguing light on the Soviet Union's role in the crisis as well as a number of other important questions that could not be resolved by historians until now. * Adam B. Ulam, Gurney Professor of History and Political Science, Harvard University *