Starting in the late 1960s, a new form of political protest emerged in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Usually referred to as ‘dissent’ or ‘dissidence’, it was characterised by a legalist and non-ideological approach. Focused on the defense of civic and human rights, the dissidents did not seek to overthrow the communist governments, but to broaden the sphere of a free public discourse.

The contributions to this book are part of a broader effort to invigorate and modernize the history of dissent. Sharing a transnational perspective on dissent, they uncover the networks, discourses and perceptions that connected the dissidents with each other and with groups of supporters in the west. Thus, they demonstrate how movements of dissent were shaped by mutual perceptions and interactions and how they partook in broader changes that transformed international politics during the 1970s and 1980s: the eclipse of Marxism, the rise of human rights or the emergence of transnational forms of activism focused on peace or the preservation of the environment.