Now updated to cover events since 1989, this highly acclaimed text offers a complete political history of East Central Europe from World War II to the present by one of the world's foremost authorities on the area. The second edition includes an account and analysis of the collapse of communist regimes throughout the region, addressing each country's transformation and approach toward post-communist government. Extensive sections address the triumph and breakup of Poland's Solidarity, ethnic discord in Czechoslovakia, the rise of coalition government in Hungary, the calculated retreat of Albania's communist regime, the ousting of old-line leaders in Bulgaria and Romania, and the war in Yugoslavia. A new epilogue considers how far the heirs of East Central Europe have come and warns of dilemmas and complications that may arise in the near future. Unsurpassed in scope, in depth of analysis, and in fairness and objectivity, Return to Diversity is an invaluable resource for students of this region's history and politics.