Stalinism for All Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism (Volume 11) (Society and Culture in East-Central Europe)

Stalinism For All Seasons Is The First Comprehensive History Of The Romanian Communist Party (rcp). It Traces The Origins Of The Once-tiny, Clandestine Revolutionary Organization In The 1920s Through The Years Of National Power From 1944 To 1989 To The Post-1989 Metamorphoses Of Its Members. Vladimir Tismaneanu Uses Documents That He Discovered While Working In The Rcp Archives In Bucharest In The Mid-1990s And Interviews With Many Of The Party Members From The Ceausescu And Gheorghiu-dej Eras To Tell The Absorbing Story Of How Rcp Members Came To Power As Exponents Of Moscow And Succeeded In Turning Themselves Into Champions Of Autonomy. Tismaneanu Analyzes Both The Main Events In Romanian Communism And The Role Of Significant Personalities In The Party's History. Situating The Rise And Fall Of Romanian Communism Within The World Revolutionary Movement, Stalinism For All Seasons Shows That The History Of Communism In One Country Can Illuminate The Development Of Communism In The Twentieth Century. Tismaneanu Discusses Significant Moments In The Final Six Decades Of World Communism, Including The Spanish Civil War, World War Ii, The Comintern, Stalin And The Bolshevization Of The Eastern European Communist Parties, And De-stalinization. He Examines Important Events In International Affairs During Nicolae Ceausescu's Rule (1965-1989) - Particularly Romania's Role In The Sino-soviet Conflict, The Middle East, European Communism, And European Security. Finally Tismaneanu Identifies The Rcp's Descendants Among Romania's Current Political Parties And Personalities. Embracing A Long And Complex Period, This Book Will Interest Readers Of Twentieth-century History And Anyone Curious About Communism And Postcommunism.--jacket. Introduction : Why A History Of Romanian Communism? -- Understanding National Stalinism : Legacies Of Ceaușescu's Socialism -- A Messianic Sect : The Underground Romanian Communist Party, 1921-1944 -- The Road To Absolute Power : From Quasi-monarchy To People's Democracy, 1944-1948 -- Stalinism Unbound, 1948-1956 -- Aftershocks Of The The Cpsu's Twentieth Congress, 1957-1960 -- Opposing Khrushchevism : Gheorghiu-dej And The Emergence Of National Communism, 1960-1965 -- Ceaușescu's Dynastic Communism, 1965-1989 -- Epilogue : The Rcp's Afterlife -- Appendix : The Romanian Communist Party's Leadership : A Biographical Roster. Vladimir Tismaneanu. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 331-356) And Index. Stalinism for All Seasons is the first comprehensive history of the Romanian Communist Party (RCP). It traces the origins of the once-tiny, clandestine revolutionary organization in the 1920s through the years of national power from 1944 to 1989 to the post-1989 metamorphoses of its members. Vladimir Tismaneanu uses documents that he discovered while working in the RCP archives in Bucharest in the mid-1990s and interviews with many of the party members from the Ceau_escu and Gheorghiu-Dej eras to tell the absorbing story of how RCP members came to power as exponents of Moscow and succeeded in turning themselves into champions of autonomy. Tismaneanu analyzes both the main events in Romanian communism and the role of significant personalities in the partys history. Situating the rise and fall of Romanian communism within the world revolutionary movement, Stalinism for All Seasons shows that the history of communism in one country can illuminate the development of communism in the twentieth century. Tismaneanu discusses significant moments in the final six decades of world communism, including the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Comintern, Stalin and the Bolshevization of the Eastern European communist parties, and de-Stalinization. He examines important events in international affairs during Nicolae Ceau_escus rule (1965-1989)particularly Romanias role in the Sino-Soviet conflict, the Middle East, European communism, and European security. Finally, Tismaneanu identifies the RCPs descendants among Romanias current political parties and personalities. Embracing a long and complex period, this book will interest readers of twentieth-century history and anyone curious about communism and postcommunism. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page ix) Acknowledgments (page xi) Abbreviations and Acronyms (page xv) Introduction: Why a History of Romanian Communism (page 1) I. Understanding National Stalinism: Legacies of Ceauşescu's Socialsim (page 18) 2. A Messianic Sect: The Underground Romanian Communist Party, 1921-1944 (page 37) 3. The Road to Absolute Power: From Quasi-Monarchy to People's Democracy, 1944-1948 (page 85) 4. Stalinism Unbound, 1948-1956 (page 107) 5. Aftershocks of the CPSU's Twentieth Congress, 1957-1960 (page 136) 6. Opposing Khrushchevism: Gheorghiu-Dej and the Emergence of the National Communism, 1960-1965 (page 168) 7. Ceauşescu's Dynastic Communism, 1965-1989 (page 187) Epilogue: The RCP's Afterlife (page 233) Appendix: The Romanian Communist Party's Leadership: A Biographical Roster (page 255) Notes (page 271) Select Bibliography (page 331) Index (page 357)