Uncaptive Minds

The distinguished British historian, Hugh Seton-Watson, once remarked wisely, “Europe remains the heart of the human race and the heart of Europe is sick.” What he added has been fully justified by recent history: “The remedy for the tension in the middle of Europe lies in Soviet hands alone”. The destruction of Central Europe by two world wars almost obliterated the notion of this important region from people’s minds. Most came to believe that there was only a western and an eastern Europe and academic institutions and programs reinforced the results of Soviet conquest by using terms like “Slavic studies” and “Russian and East European programs”; in this way, well over 150 million non-Russians were generally overlooked. Geza Jeszenszky, Central Europe and Appeasement, fragment)