Reconstructing Europe 45 years after Yalta

Some thirty heads of State, including George Bush, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, and Margaret Thatcher, met in Paris from November 19 21, 1990, to sign the Charter of Paris for a new Europe.

Coming on the heels of German reunification and the treaty on conventional forces in Europe, the Charter of Paris marked the triumph of the ‘spirit of Helsinki’. Forty-five years after Yalta, the Charter turned its back on the cold war and ushered in a new phase in European history, based on democracy and respect for human rights.

Built on a foundation of unpublished archives, interviews with key actors of the time and the work of historians, this volume provides a fresh look at an exceptional moment in history. It also sheds light on changes in Europe in the past thirty years and outlines future perspectives for the continent.

Some thirty heads of State, including George Bush, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, Helmut Kohl, François Mitterrand, and Margaret Thatcher, met in Paris from November 19 21, 1990, to sign the Charter of Paris for a new Europe.

Coming on the heels of German reunification and the treaty on conventional forces in Europe, the Charter of Paris marked the triumph of the ‘spirit of Helsinki’. Forty-five years after Yalta, the Charter turned its back on the cold war and ushered in a new phase in European history, based on democracy and respect for human rights.

Built on a foundation of unpublished archives, interviews with key actors of the time and the work of historians, this volume provides a fresh look at an exceptional moment in history. It also sheds light on changes in Europe in the past thirty years and outlines future perspectives for the continent