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History and Memory: The Revolutions of 1989-91

During the years 1989–91, people had the impression that they were living through political events comparable in scope and importance to the French and American Revolutions. With the downfall of communism, decades of Cold War and the threat of global annihilation came to an end, and the bipolar world was consigned to the past. For some, this meant “the end of history” in a philosophical sense: the disappearance of a plausible alternative to a liberal democratic order. For others, by contrast, it meant that history was just opening its doors, enabling previously suppressed countries, nations, and continents to regain their ability to shape their own destiny. Still others feared that the political changes would lead to cataclysms: chaos, anarchy, civil war, ethnic conflict, and the threat that “rogue states” or terrorist gangs would use weapons of mass destruction. The bipolar world, it was noted, had at least brought a certain order and predictability. Articles appeared prophesying the return of the demons of the past. It was recalled that World War I, World War II, and the Cold War had all begun in that part of Europe that lies between East and West, the meeting point of great empires and great religions: Western Christianity, the Orthodox Church, and Islam. The peaceful revolutions of a decade ago fascinated the entire world. Their heroes were “the people,” “the nation,” and “civil society,” along with intellectuals who invoked the language of “truth,” “morality,” and “human rights.” It seemed that an old dream was about to be realized— Aleksander Smolar is senior research fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris and chairman of the board of the Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw. He served as a political advisor to Polish prime ministers Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Hanna Suchocka. His essay “Poland’s Emerging Party System” appeared in the April 1998 issue of the Journal of Democracy. This essay was translated from the Polish by Magdalena Potocka.