Mass Violence and Genocide in Eastern Europe and the Balkans

The Second World War and its immediate aftermath representsa pivotal period of violence in the history of Central and South East Europe. 6to 7 million people were killed, approximately 15 million were deported andmillions more were confined in prisons or concentration camps. This bookprovides the first detailed survey of this wartime and postwar violence and theethnic cleansing that took place. Employing a transnational approach, Alexander Korb andDieter Pohl analyse mass violence committed by all warring parties in theregion during the period; the book covers German, Italian and other Axis alliedperpetrators, as well as the Soviet forces and indigenous actors during the war.Mass Violence and Genocide in Eastern Europe explores the actions of these perpetrators, their politicsand motivations, as well as how they interacted. The book also looks closely atthe societies affected by this brutality and how individual victims experiencedand reacted to what was unfolding around them. Accessibly written, this book gives students a more nuancedunderstanding of the violence and ethnic cleansing that took place in Centraland South East Europe during and after the conflict.