Bittersweet Europe Albanian and Georgian Discourses on Europe, 1878-2008 [Hardcover]

From the late nineteenth century to the post-communist period, Albanian and Georgian political and intellectual elites have attributed hopes to Europe, yet have also exhibited ambivalent attitudes that do not appear likely to vanish any time soon. Albanians and Georgians have evoked, experienced, and continue to speak of Europe according to a tense triadic entitygeopolitics, progress, culturewhich has generated aspirations as well as delusions towards it and themselves. This unique dichotomy weaves a nuanced, historical account of a changing Europe, continuously marred by uncertainties that greatly affect these countries domestic politics as well as foreign policy decisions. A systematic and rich account of how Albanians and Georgians view Europe, this book offers a fresh perspective on the vast East/West literature and, more broadly, on European intellectual, cultural, and political history.

Chapter 1.Nationhood and Empire: A Tale of Historical and Ethno-cultural Similarities and Differences
Chapter 2.From Empire to Independence: Europe as the Future
Chapter 3.The Nation-State in Imperial/Supranational Shadow: the Apparent Decline of Europe
Chapter 4.Communist Experiences in a Divided Europe
Chapter 5.Return to Europe, Closer to Europe: Post-communist Expectations

Epilogue:Is Europe still the Future?

Bibliograhpy
Index

Adrian Briskuis a research fellow at the University of Helsinki, working on the Research Project Europe 1815-1914, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). His interests include comparative political and intellectual European history with a particular focus on modern Albania and Georgia and nineteenth-century Ottoman and Russian empires.

Adrian Briskus book presents interesting views of Europe from the outsidefrom the perspectives of modern? AlbanialC%