ABSTRACT
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.
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. 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 paritcularly lacks.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part One|114 pages
Stalinism Revisited and the Takeover Model
chapter |14 pages
Stalin, Soviet Policy, and the Consolidation of a Communist Bloc in Eastern Europe, 1944–53
part Two|100 pages
The Establishment of Communist Regimes in Central and Eastern Europe
chapter |11 pages
Eastern Europe between the USSR and the West: Reflections on the Origins and Dynamics of the Cold War
part Three|110 pages
Stalinism and Historiography
part Four|80 pages
National or Revolutionary Breakthroughs?
