The Eastern Bloc

1) The new division of Europe

A) The division of Europe after WWII was decided on 9 October 1944 on the meeting between
Churchill and Stalin in Moscow. In Greece it was 90% for Great Britain and the USA, in
Romania- 90 % for the USSR, in Bulgaria- 75% for the USSR, in Yugoslavia and Hungary-50%
for the USA and Great Britain and 50% for the USSR.
B) The division of Europe was a result of the decisions between the states from AntiHitler’s
coalition during the war. The afterwar Soviet domination in Eastern Europe was also a result
of Stalin’s military victories. He created an empire of satellite states, which were subjected
to Moscow through the activities of their communist parties.
2) From “people’s democracy” to Stalin’s model of government (1945-1956).
A) Under the pressure of Roosevelt and Churchill, Stalin signed the Declaration of Liberated
Europe, but in the satellite states he did not implement the obligations of that document.
After 1945 were accepted constitutions which imposed the ruling role of the communist
parties and was established a model of state called people’s democracy.
B) Till the conference in Yalta (February 1945) Poland was entirely under Soviet control, and
before the conference in Potsdam (summer 1945) the Poles received lands west of Oder-
Nyssa, in spite of the protests of the allies. The elections in January 1947 were won by the
communist party but there was suspicion of misuses of the electoral results.
C) After the war the communist party became leading force in Czechoslovakia, because of its
patriotic role during the occupation. The leader of the communists Clement Gottwald
became prime minister but the February events in 1948 were a trouble for the political
system of the country. The resign of 11 ministers led to the persecution of the oppositional
parties and in June 1948 the president Benesch resigned. His place was taken by Gottwald.
The changes were in favour of the communists.
D) After the war the monarchy in Hungary was liquidated. On the elections in 1945 the
Independent party of the petty rural owners won 57% of the votes but the rumours from
Moscow for a state coup d’état became a reason for retribution with the leaders of the
victorious party. On the next elections in 1947 the rural party won 17% of the votes and the
communist party-22% of the votes, became first political power. The opposition in Hungary
was eliminated gradually.
E) In Romania leader of the Rural party Ion Manu was accused for anti-state plot and in 1947
his party was dismissed. In February 1948 the Social democratic party united with the
Communist party and in March 1948 the coalition won the elections.
F) On 9 September 1944 the Fatherland’s front took the power in Bulgaria and the political life
was democratized according to Turnovo constitution. On 8 September 1946 was organized a
referendum for the elimination of the monarchy. On 15 September 1946 Bulgaria became
people’s republic. The opposition was banned and the other parties were disbanded. The
country began a road led by the communist party.
G) The events in Yugoslavia which was liberated without Soviet help, went in a different way.
Josip Broz Tito and the Yugoslavian communists wanted to keep the sovereignty of the
country. Stalin excluded Yugoslavia from the Soviet bloc and undertook economic blockade.
 Tito did not change his policy. In 1948 the Soviet leadership broke the relations with
Yugoslavia because of its independent policy and the Yugoslavian interference in Albania.
3) The economic reforms
A) To overcome the consequences from the war, in the states from the Eastern bloc were
carried out agrarian reforms and nationalization of the industry. The agrarian reforms
provided lands for the petty peasants but they received lands which were separated in small
pieces. Contrary to the USSR, in no state was carried out nationalization of the land.
B) The reforms in the industry were based on the idea that people’s democracy had to be
based on state property on the means of production. Till the end of 1949 the nationalization
of industry, banks and transport was completed.
C) Yugoslavian example made Stalin begin a purge of the party leaders of the communists and
to control their leaders. On the elections in 1947-1948 the communist and workers’ parties
won majority and the power received “legitimacy”. After the elections all Eastern European
states began to develop the socialist society of Stalin’s type and the interests of the USSR
were placed above the national interests of the separate states.