ABSTRACT
The growth of interest in the problem of continuity and change in the context of Soviet-East European relations is a relatively recent phenomenon. The basic premise of the totalitarian model was its aversion to change: it was assumed a priori that the main objective of a totalitarian system was total control aimed at the preservation of the status quo. This chapter highlights some of the most important areas and turning points in the process of change in the Soviet-East European relations from the mid–1960s until the present. The two most important multilateral organs providing institutional links between the USSR and the smaller East European countries were the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. The view that the Soviet imperium has been ailing has been shared by many authorities in the field and, by and large, has no quarrel with their analysis.
