Central Europe's ancient civilizations have long been dominated by empires: The Roman
Empire, the Habsburg Empire, based in Austria, and more recently, the Soviet Communists. But the
decline of communism in the late twentieth century has unleashed old resentments, rivalries, and
ambitions that have caused yet more war in this troubled region.

The World's Political Hot Spots series explains the basis of conflicts in some of the world's most politically
sensitive areas. Many of these regions are in today's headlines, and tensions recently have become violent
in virtually all of them. Each presentation covers up to ten centuries of background, revealing how and why
today's problems occur.

Buffalo State College