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Book Launch "Canada and Eastern Europe, 1945-1991" by Andrea Chandler

The Collaborative Research Center "Dynamics of Security" invites you to the virtual book launch of Andrea Chandler's monograph "Canada and Eastern Europe, 1945-1991. Meeting in the Middle".

Veranstaltungsdaten

About the book 

How should democratic regimes engage with authoritarian states or self-proclaimed authorities in occupied territories? Andrea Chandler’s book explores this question through the lens of Canada’s relations with Warsaw Pact member states during the Cold War. These Central and East European communist regimes, though nominally independent, were established under occupation. Canadian leaders debated whether engaging in foreign relations with these states might foster liberalization or inadvertently strengthen their authoritarian rulers. Over time, Canada adopted a policy that emphasized both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, paired with calls for the respect of human rights. However, Canada’s economic ties with East European states sometimes conflicted with its commitment to democratic principles. Chandler contends that while Canada’s leaders sought to encourage democratization, they did not fully account for how their policies affected the citizens of Warsaw Pact countries.

The book launch will be held in English.