Description
Book SynopsisThis title deals with the period of takeover and of 'high Stalinism' in Eastern Europe (1945-1955). These years are considered to be fundamentally characterized by institutional and ideological transfers based upon the premise of radical transformism and of cultural revolution. Both a balance-sheet and a politico-historical synthesis that reflects the archival and thematic novelties which came about in the field of communism studies after 1989. It contains contributions analyzing various aspects related these topics for each country of the former Soviet bloc (with the exception of Albania). The essays are based on new archival research, some are reassessments of the author's previous research and others are critical appraisals of the specific literature published on issues related to the main topic. There is a path-breaking comparative framework for interpreting the relationship between late Stalinism and the communist takeovers in former Eastern Europe. A bonus for the volume is that it also provides detailed, sectorial analyses for the Romanian case, something that the field is lacking as well.
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter I: Stalinism - a Takeover Model 1. Stalinist Revolutionary Breakthroughs in Eastern Europe 2. Diabolical Pedagogy and the (Il)logic of Stalinism in Eastern Europe 3. Stalin, Soviet Policy, and the Consolidation of a Communist Bloc in Eastern Europe, 1944-1953 4. Popular Democracy: an Illusion? Chapter II: The Establishment of Communist Regimes 1. Eastern Europe between the USSR and the West: Reflections on the Origins and Dynamics of the Cold War 2. Legitimation deficit and legitimation crisis in East European societies 3. The Paradox of East German Communism: From Non-Stalinism to Neo-Stalinism? 4. Road to People's Poland:A" Stalin's Conquest Revisited Chapter III: Stalinism and Historiography 1. Revisiting Hungarian Stalinism 2. Avatars of the Romanian Academy and the Historical Front (1948 versus1955) 3. Bulgarian Stalinism Revisited 4. Historicizing a Disputed Theme: Anticommunist Armed Resistance in Romania Chapter IV: National or Revolutionary Breakthroughs? 1. Hope Died Last: The Czechoslovak Road to Stalinism 2. Propaganda and Culture in Romania at the Beginning of the Communist Regime 3. Varieties of Stalinism in light of the Yugoslav case 4. Community Building and Identity Politics in Gheorghiu-Dej's Romania (1956-1964) Index
