Reluctant Reformers: Zhivkov, Ceauşescu and the Moscow Wind of Change (original) (raw)
Related papers
Romanian-Soviet Relations in the ‘80s (II)
Deutsche internationale Zeitschrift für zeitgenössische Wissenschaft, nr. 85, 2024
The extremely tense Romanian-Soviet relations after April 1964 would deteriorate even more during Mikhail S. Gorbachev‘s mandate. The leaders of Kremlin criticised Nicolae Ceaușescu and, at the same time, could not forgive him for his ambition and his demonstrative flirting with the West. Speaking about Nicolae Ceaușescu, Mikhail S. Gorbachev stated that after August 21, 1968, he began to distance himself from the Soviet Union and to emphasize his demand for Romania's independence and sovereignty to be respected in every way possible, so that this basic demand in itself, repeated on every occasion and even without reason, turned into a kind of incantation that brought with it doubled dividends. Nicolae Ceaușescu and socialist Romania proved to be the stumbling block in the process of reforming and restructuring the strategic glacis of the USSR, reforming socialism and trying to bestow a new perspective on an ideology that proved to be failing.
Romanian-Soviet Relations in the ‘80s (I)
Deutsche internationale Zeitschrift für zeitgenössische Wissenschaft, nr. 84, 2024
The extremely tense Romanian-Soviet relations after April 1964 would deteriorate even more during Mikhail S. Gorbachev's mandate. The leaders of Kremlin criticised Nicolae Ceaușescu and, at the same time, could not forgive him for his ambition and his demonstrative flirting with the West. Speaking about Nicolae Ceaușescu, Mikhail S. Gorbachev stated that after August 21, 1968, he began to distance himself from the Soviet Union and to emphasize his demand for Romania's independence and sovereignty to be respected in every way possible, so that this basic demand in itself, repeated on every occasion and even without reason, turned into a kind of incantation that brought with it doubled dividends. Nicolae Ceaușescu and socialist Romania proved to be the stumbling block in the process of reforming and restructuring the strategic glacis of the USSR, reforming socialism and trying to bestow a new perspective on an ideology that proved to be failing.
On The Eve Of The Romanian Revolution – Some Considerations
There were three main levels of confrontation involving the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War, and especially during its last decade, that were important for U.S. strategic interests. 1 The first was the East-West confrontation and the possibility of tension exploding into military combat and even nuclear war. On this level, Romanian consistently fought against the policies of provocative military competition, heightened tensions, and proxy wars favored by successive Soviet leaders; and especially Soviet military leaders. It did so primarily by contra-posing its own strategy of international mediation, military disengagement and disarmament. Its ability to blackmail reluctant Soviet regime leaders into adopting these policies in exchange for their renewal of the Warsaw Pact in 1985 is one of the most astonishing phenomena of the final Cold War years of which nearly nothing was known at the time -not even the fact of its occurrence. Ironically, reports during the mid and late 1980s of Romanian-Soviet reconciliation in part reflected a reality in which Gorbachev increasingly Abu Iyad (Salah Khalaf) KGB Agent KOCHUBEY
Études balkaniques, LIII, 2017/2, ISSN 0324-1645, pp. 729-754, 2017
Abstract: After the end of the Second World War, in Romania and Bulgaria there were communist regimes loyal to the Soviet Union and to the General Secretary of the CPSU, Joseph Stalin, so that premises were in place for “relations of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and nations” in the name of “the unity of the socialist countries and of the communist movement.” And this was actually true until the mid-1960s, when the policy of the Romanian Communist Party towards the USSR, the hegemonic ruler of this political system, began to change. Without ever getting into an open conflict, the Romanian-Bulgarian ties were affected by the situation, and as Romania continued its autonomous evolution amid the other satellite-countries, disputes became more and more common. This study endeavours to discuss the manner in which the positioning of both countries within the international communist movement and vis-à-vis the Soviet regime and its decisions influenced the relationships between the two countries. Keywords: International Relations, Hegemony оf USSR, Balkans Geopolitics, International Communist Movement, Satellite-Countries in Communist Political System
2018
This paper analyzes from a historical point of view the opinions of Western analysts and historians (but also Romanians especially within foreign papers) the Romanian Revolution and the Transition period from 1989 till 2000. Firstly we have studied the authors opinions pointing in some cases our opinion as well. In this paper we have used the narrative (showing the opinions and indirectly the events) but also the analytical method. We consider that in 1989 we are dealing with a revolution and that from 1990 till 2000 the Iliescu and Constantinescu regimes have assured a transition towards democracy, but a transition characterized by many problems. At the same time we have analyzed some economic problems and the geopolitical situation of Romania in the twentieth century.
The Soviet Union, Allies and the beginning of “Sovietization” of Romania, 1944–1945
Tokovi istorije
The article analyzes the beginning of the establishment of the socialist system in Romania, focusing on the Soviet and Allied role in setting up the people’s democratic system in this Eastern European country. In addition, the paper examines the dependence of Romanian communism on relations within the victorious, anti-fascist coalition. Th e aims at analyzing the basic processes and actors in the first months of the establishment of socialism in Romania. Regardless of the fact that in Romanian historiography the topic is solidly researched, in domestic historiography it can be considered necessary for understanding the development of Yugoslav socialism. The work is mainly based on the documents of Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series.