ABSTRACT
One of the most frequently observed phenomena in twentieth century Europe has been the need for the new ruling elite in different political systems to deal with the legacy of the past. History of the past 80 years or so is replete with examples showing the difficulty encountered by political leaders in various settings, in coming to terms with the inheritance bequeathed to them by their predecessors. It is not surprising that in the early stages of the transition period, the new policy-makers were rather helpless and in formulating their foreign policies they were often motivated by simple minded and even naive considerations. The flip side of the unrequited infatuation with the West was the neglect of the East. Up to a point this was also understandable in light of strong distrust of Russia and the Soviet Union that characterized the attitude of such East-Central European countries as Hungary, Poland and Romania long before imposition of communist rule in region.
