Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary Flashcards
why were communists popular in Romania?
they offered an alternative to the pre-war regime
who occupied Romania in 1945?
the Red Army
why was it relatively easy for Stalin to control Romania?
opposition was minimal
what characterised the takeover in Bulgaria?
gradualism, manipulated elections and the forced removal of opponents
who was the strongest political opponent to the communists in Bulgaria?
the Agrarian Party, led by Nikola Petkov
what was the success of the Agrarian Party in Bulgaria?
they won 20% of the popular vote in the October elections
what happened to Petkov?
he was faced with trumped-up charges and was executed
what happened in Bulgaria by April 1947?
all other political parties had been banned
what did the communists do in Hungary?
they used the tactic of allying with other political groups to challenge the power of their greatest opponent, the Smallholders Party
what tactics were used in Hungary to popularise the communist party?
political opponents were arrested and elections were manipulated to produce the desired outcome for the communists
why was Stalin not satisfied with the Hungarian communists?
many Hungarian communists didn’t display the degree of loyalty to Moscow that Stalin wanted
who did Hungary form close links with?
Yugoslavia, where a non-Soviet regime was in place
what happened in 1949 in Hungary?
the Hungarian communist leader, Laszlo Rajk, was executed for ‘anti-Soviet’ activities
what happened to all political opposition to the Moscow-backed Hungarian communists by 1949?
they had all disappeared
