The Balkans Since the Second World War

Since the collapse of the communist regimes of Eastern Europe, the Balkans have been more prominent in world affairs than at any time since before the First World War. Crises in the areas have led to NATO firing its first ever shots in anger, whilst international forces have been deployed on a scale and in a manner unprecedented in Europe since the Second World War. An understanding of why this happened is impossible without some knowledge of the history of the area before the fall of communism, of how the communists came to power and how they wielded their authority thereafter. This book is the only comprehensive survey of the history of the region since 1945. It deals with the communist states of Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, but it also covers Greece, 'the one that got away'. It is an introduction to a complicated area and a complicated history. It will provide a definitive guide to all who are interested in this region: student, journalist, politician, lawyer, business person and tourist.R.J. Crampton is Professor of East European History and Fellow of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He is the author of many books on Central and Eastern Europe, including 'Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century And After' (1997).

List of Tables.

List of Maps.

Preface.

Acknowledgement.

List of Abbreviations.

Maps.

I. COMMUNIST TAKEOVERS AND CIVIL WAR: THE BALKANS 1944-1949.

1. Introduction.

2. Yugoslavia, 1944-1948.
The Second World War and foundation of communist power.
Communist power entrenched: October 1944 to November 1945.
Communist power legitimized: the November 1945 elections and the January 1946 constitution.
Unrestrained communist power in Yugoslavia, 1946-8.
External affairs from the end of the war to the breach with Stalin, 1944-8.

3. Albania, 1944-1948.
The foundation and growth of the communist movement.
The consolidation of communist power, November 1944 to March 1946.
The beginnings of the revolution from above, March 1946 to June 1948.
Albania's external alignment, 1944-8.

4. Bulgaria, 1944-1948.
Bulgaria during the Second World War.
Factors in Bulgarian politics, 1944-8.
From the coup of 9 September 1944 to the postponement of the elections in August 1945.
From the postponement of the elections in August 1945 to the Grand National Assembly elections of October 1946.
From the elections of October 1946 to the fifth party congress in December 1948.

5. Romania, 1944-1948.
Factors in Romanian politics, 1944-8.
From the coup of August 1944 to the installation of the Groza government in March 1945.
The crisis of February -March 1945.
From the installation of the Groza government to the elections of November 1946.
The completion of the communist takeover, November 1946 to March 1948.

6. Greece, 1944-1949.
Internal conflicts in Greece during the Second World War.
Left and right in Greece, 1944-9.
The December events, 1944.
'Anarchic Banditry': from the Varkiza agreement to the elections of March 1946.
The drift to civil war: from the elections to the declaration of the provisional government, March 1946 to December 1947.
The Greek civil war, December 1947 to August 1949.

II. THE BALKANS DURING THE COLD WAR, 1949-1989.

7. Introduction.

8. Yugoslavia, 1948-1989.
Finding 'Tito's way': Yugoslavia in the 1950's.
The search for stability: Yugoslavia 1960-76.
Yugoslavia in decline, 1980-9.

9. Albania, 1948-1991.
The Soviet period, 1948-61.
The Chinese period, 1961-78.
The period of isolation, 1978-91.

10. Bulgaria, 1948-1989.
The Stalinist period, 1948-54.
The rise of Todor Zhivkov, 1954-65.
Zhivkov ascendant, 1965-81.
The decline and fall of Todor Zhivkov, 1981-9.

11. Romania, 1948-1989.
Romania under Gheorghiu-Dej, 1948-65.
Ceausescu's Romania, 1965-89.

12. Greece, 1949-1990.
The beginnings of political relaxation, 1949-52.
Years of stability, 1952-61.
The return of political instability, 1961-7.
The rule of the colonels, 1967-74.
Stable democracy and the road to the Eec, 1974-90.
PASOK in power, 1981-90.

III. THE POST-COMMUNIST BALKANS.

13. Introduction.

14. The Yugoslav Crisis, 1989-1992, and the War In Bosnia, 1992-1995.
The collapse of the post-1945 federation, March 1989 to April 1992.
Serbia and Kosovo.
Croatia.
Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Macedonia.
Montenegro.
Slovenia.
The decline of the federal institutions.
The decent into war in Slovenia and Croatia.
The drift to war in Bosnia.
The dissolution of the old Yugoslavia.
The Bosnian and Croatian conflicts, 1992-5.

15. Yugoslavia and Its Successor States Since 1992.
Kosovo since 1992.
Serbia since 1992.
Montenegro since 1992.
Bosnia and Hercegovina since 1995.
Croatia since 1992.
Slovenia since 1992.
Macendonia since 1992.

16. Albania Since 1991.
The semi-transition, March 1991 to March 1992.
The Berisha/Meksi regime, March 1992-June 1996.
The collapse of 1997.
Albania since June 1997.

17. Bulgaria Since 1989.
The UDF Years, December 1989 to December 1994.
BSP government and economic catastrophe, January 1995-April 1997.
The second UDF government, Bulgaria since 1997.

18. Romania Since 1989.
The National Salvation Front and managed transition, December 1989 to September 1991.
The neo-communist governments, September 1992 to November 1996.
Centre-right government, November 1996 to December 2000.

19. Greece Since 1990.
New Democracy in power, April 1990 to October 193.
PASOK government, Greece since April 1993.

20. Epilogue.

Bibliography.

Index.

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The Balkans Since the Second World War

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