The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism (Dennis Hupchick)

The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism is a survey history of the region during the stated time period (it ends in 1991).

Summary
Hupchick begins with an introduction to the land, people, and culture, after which he breaks the history down into several eras:

Era of Byzantine Hegemony (600-1355)
"By the opening of the seventh century, the eastern half of the classical Roman Empire had nearly completed its evolution into the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire."  This empire was powerful and exerted considerable control over and influence in the Balkans.  But Byzantine control was neither total nor constant; during this era, various peoples at various times would have preeminence in the region.  The Bulgarian Empire would dominate the ninth century; Serbia the mid-fourteenth.  In between, Normans would hold portions of territory, and Crusaders passing through the land left their mark (largely negative), and ultimately weaken the Byzantine Empire beyond repair (the fourth Crusade, in the thirteenth century, would target their fellow Christians and lead to a temporarily Latin-ruled Byzantium).

Era of Ottoman Domination (1355-1804)
Though Constantinople wouldn't fall until 1453 and signal the official demise of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Turk's conquest of the Balkans started a century earlier (temporarily halting their advance only while menaced by the Mongols).  By the 1520s, Ottoman hold on the Balkans would be complete and go so far as to threaten Habsburg Vienna (the heart of Central Europe).  Conquered Christians were second-class citizens in this Islamic theocratic society, yet enjoyed "a certain measure of religious toleration, administrative autonomy, and economic well-being that was exceptional for nonaristocratic society in the rest of Europe."  It wouldn't last long; "Western European technological developments and global exploration began to inflict consistent military defeats and economic hardships on the Turks, resulting in the destabilization of Ottoman society and a progressive worsening in the overall situation of the Ottomans' non-Muslim subjects that continued through the eighteenth century."

Era of Romantic Nationalsim (1804-1878)
"By the first half of the nineteenth century the Western European concept of Romantic nationalism appeared among the non-Muslim Balkan peoples.  As a sense of ethnic group awareness, based on recognition of a common language and shared history, grew and spread among the various Balkan populations, so too did the idea of group self-governance."  Predictably, this idea would lead to rebellions and autonomous regions (like Greece and Serbia).  The Ottomans would make reforms in an effort to keep things together, but their changes, coupled with nationalist movements, "became pawns in the imperialist policies of the Western European Great Powers and Russia. . . The Congress of Berlin (1878) imposed the Western European concepts of nation-state on the small states of Serbia, Greece, Romania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria carved from a reduced Ottoman Empire; brought Habsburg Austria-Hungary deeper into the Balkans; and sowed the seeds of future nationalist conflicts among them all."

Era of Nation-State Nationalism (1878-1945)
"Romantic nationalism turned to nation-state nationalism" in several Balkan states after the Congress of Berlin- Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria.  "Each structured domestic affairs in support of nationalist territorial expansion at the expense of the contracting Ottoman Empire, often in mutually exclusive competition with one another."  In essence, "in validating the creation of Balkan nation-states but then obstructing their implementation in practice through the [Berlin] treaty's territorial terms, the Great Powers virtually assured future national unrest and conflict in the Balkans."  Domestically, problems were worsened by imposing constitutions (and in some cases rulers) from the Great Powers, clashing with regional political traditions.  Ultimately, unrest would trigger war; "with the Sarajevo assassination of 1914, Serbian nationalism ignited World War I, and the Balkan states aligned themselves in the struggle so as to advance their nationalist goals."  "During the interwar years, national and economic problems in the Balkan states ultimately led to Nazi domination during World War II and, except for Greece, the Communist takeover of them all by war's end."

Era of Communist Domination (1945-1991)
After World War II, the Soviet Union installed Stalinist governments in every Balkan state except Greece (they beat them back with Western assistance).  But even in Greece, "authoritarianism [also] triumphed.  Assorted cold war-era Soviet sociopolitical models were followed scrupulously," though Tito's Yugoslavia would break with Stalin (in 1948) and Hoxha's Albania would follow suit (in 1960).  Even so, "all Balkan Communist states officially adhered to socialist precepts of authoritarian government, planned economies, and controlled sociocultural expression.  Prewar nationalist issues" persisted and would simmer below the surface until "the collapse of Soviet communism opened the door to a similar result in the Balkans, after which pressurized national issues once again exploded."

Review
This is a good- and detailed- read.  It took me a long time to get through the first 100 pages.  Being overwhelmed by the information presented, I decided to skim/spot-read the rest to get the gist.  Hupchick is a good author- he writes well, appears fair to differing viewpoints, and is relatively succinct.  The account is informative but not overly compelling- more suited as a reference than to be read through (in my opinion).  Basically, the history of the region (like many across the world) comes down to various factions struggling for dominance over the land and its people.  And in the Balkans, there are many factions, many struggles, and much to detail. 

Rating: A-