Stalin's Cold War: Soviet Foreign Policy, Democracy and Communism in Bulgaria, 1941- 48: Soviet Foreign Policy, Democracy and Communism in Bulgaria, 1941-48 (Global Conflict and Security Since 1945)

This work offers a major new interpretation of the Stalin's role in the gestation of the Cold War. Based on important new evidence, Dimitrov reveals Stalin's genuine efforts to preserve his World War II alliance with the US and Britain and to encourage a degree of cooperation between communists and democratic parties in Eastern Europe. Stalin's Cold War breaks new ground by exploring the emergence of the global conflict from the perspective of the Soviet Union's secretive leader. Drawing on rich new evidence from Soviet, East European and British archives, the book offers fresh and illuminating insights into the evolution of Stalin's strategy in the transition from cooperation with the United States and Britain during the Second World War to ideological and geopolitical confrontation. The book reveals Stalin's efforts to grapple with the dynamic interaction between democratic and communist parties in the domestic politics of European countries in the aftermath of the Second World War, and his key role in the gradual but inexorable shift towards communist monopoly of power in the countries of Eastern Europe "Stalin's Cold War offers a major new interpretation of the Soviet leader's role in the gestation of the Cold War. Based on important new evidence from Soviet, Bulgarian and British archives, the book reveals Stalin's genuine, if inconsistent, efforts to preserve his World War II alliance with the United States and Britain and to encourage a degree of cooperation between communists and democratic parties in Eastern Europe. The book demonstrates Stalin's gradual but inexorable shift to ideological and geopolitical confrontation, driven by the dynamics of international and domestic conflicts and his own brutal urge for control."--Jacket. Prelude : Stalin, Dimitrov and the Nazi threat (1933-1941) Great power diplomacy, resistance and popular front in Bulgaria (June 1941-September 1944) Wartime coalition : unity and conflict (September 1944-April 1945) The break-up of the wartime coalition (May-August 1945) The search for common ground (September 1945-March 1946) The hardening of battle lines (April-October 1946) The final confrontation (October 1946-September 1947) The false dawn of national communism (September 1947-December 1948)

This book presents an original and in-depth study of Stalin's policy at the birth of the Cold War, based on new archival documents.