A thorough and reliable analysis of Eastern Europe during a tumultuous period that ended with World War I. Ian Armour focuses on three major themes that shaped the fate of Eastern Europe in modern times – empire, national identity, and modernization – while chronologically mapping the emergence of the region as a distinct spatial concept.

It covers the history of the Habsburg, Ottoman, German, and Russian Empires, which were the main competitors for dominance over the region. In this fascinating new edition, Armour incorporates the findings of recent research on the nature and origins of nationalism and the efforts of these supranational states to secure allegiance to the dynasties and create new narratives of the empire.

It examines great personalities and governments, analyzes significant events, and discusses the socio-economic and cultural developments that are critical for a holistic understanding of the region during this period.

Ian Armour is an associate professor of History at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada. Dimitris Stamatopoulos is an associate professor in the Department of Balkan, Slavonic, and Oriental Studies at the University of Macedonia.