Modernization by the State and its Ecological Consequences in East-Central Europe

During the nineteenth-, and twentieth centuries urbanization and industrialization altered the environment in a dramatic fashion throughout Europe. Much of this change in East‑Central Europe (ECE) was instigated, facilitated and coordinated by the state. The economic-, and technological intervention by the state and its interconnectedness with capitalism and science have had tremendous ecological consequences. Although there have been substantial studies related to the complex interconnectedness of state‑intervention, capitalism, and anthropogenic environmental change, the scientific community still knows little about the environmental aspects of specific modernization attempts in many parts of the world, including East‑Central Europe. To cover this gap, this special issue investigates some of the key historical problems of modernization and subsequent ecological decline in modern ECE via a handful of relevant case studies. This introductory essay summarizes the main theoretical-, and methodological challenges related to the modern environmental history of East‑Central Europe and the role of the state, as well as provides an overview of the case studies included in this special issue.