Establishment of Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe.ppt

* * * * * * * * * * * * The Establishment of Communist Regimes in Eastern Europe  3 dimensions of the problem of communism in Eastern Europe after World War II 1. The widely recognized need for fundamental and progressive social changes 2. Existence of political forces prepared to lead the postwar transformation 3. Role of the USSR  Eastern Europe in 1945 2 groups of countries: 1. Germany and her former allies: Romania Hungary Bulgaria Finland 2. Victims of Nazi aggression: Poland Czechoslovakia Austria (?) Yugoslavia Albania Churchill-Stalin “percentages” agreement, Moscow, Oct. 1944  “I thought you’d be there waiting for me … What greeted me instead was the lingering stench of ashes and the empty sockets of our ruined home.” Samuel Puterman on his return to Warsaw, 1945 “We could see the physical destruction but the effect of vast economic disruption and political, social, and psychological destruction … completely escaped us.” Dean Acheson, US Secretary of State, 1947 Lowe, Keith (2012-07-03). Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II . St. Martins Press. Kindle Edition. Warsaw Budapest Berlin  Shattered states and societies Discredited elites Economies destroyed Legacies of ethnic warfare and border conflicts Masses in turmoil – hopes for a fresh start Intensive political struggles in each country In Western Europe, too: Capitalism in deep crisis Socialist ideas popular  The Right is either eliminated or severely weakened The situation favours the Left The East European Left in 1945, 3 types of left-wing forces: Agrarian socialists Social Democrats Communists Together, they dominate the political scene in every country Relations between them depend on both internal and external factors  Throughout East Europe, left-wing parties were banned since 1920s or 1930s Only in Czechoslovakia the Left, including CP, was fully legal until the German occupation - and was dominant in politics one of the r