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Abstract
The succession of great power influences in the Balkans played a key role in shaping Bulgaria’s international place and its domestic policy. Bulgaria in British Foreign Policy explores Britain’s involvement in Bulgaria between 1943 and 1949 and revisits the important issue of British attitudes towards Eastern Europe. Using recently released sources from the Bulgarian and Soviet Communist parties and foreign ministries, Stankova offers new insight into the nuanced origins of the Cold War in Bulgaria, and bridges significant gaps in the treatment of the country in English-language literature.
‘“Bulgaria in British Foreign Policy” is a timely and rigorously researched study on a valuable but rarely explored topic. Stankova has produced a work of lasting importance.’ —Matthew Worley, University of Reading
‘Drawing on an impressive array of primary sources, this book offers a perceptive, nuanced and judicious analysis of the evolution of British policy towards Bulgaria in the context of the breakdown of the grand alliance of World War II and the onset of the Cold War.’ —Vesselin Dimitrov, London School of Economics and Political Science
‘Drawing on an impressive array of primary sources, this book offers a perceptive, nuanced and judicious analysis of the evolution of British policy towards Bulgaria in the context of the breakdown of the grand alliance of World War II and the onset of the Cold War.’ —Vesselin Dimitrov, London School of Economics and Political Science
‘“Bulgaria in British Foreign Policy” is a timely and rigorously researched study on a valuable but rarely explored topic. Stankova has produced a work of lasting importance.’ —Matthew Worley, University of Reading
Located at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria serves as a natural stepping stone to the Straits, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Its geo-strategic position has frequently attracted foreign powers – including Great Britain and the Soviet Union – with an array of regional and global interests. [NP] A succession of Great Power influences in the Balkans both shaped Bulgaria’s international place and marked its domestic policy. This book explores Britain’s involvement in Bulgaria between 1943 and 1949, providing a new understanding of the origins of the Cold War in the region.
Divided into three parts, the book examines the priorities of Britain during and after World War II, investigates the practical integration of strategic and ideological objectives in British foreign policy, and maps Britain’s diminishing interest in the country alongside the parallel consolidation of communist power and the increasing Soviet presence.
Using recently released sources from the Bulgarian and Soviet communist parties and foreign ministries, the author revisits the question of British attitudes towards Eastern Europe. This book offers a new approach to understanding the origins of the Cold War in Bulgaria and bridges significant gaps in the treatment of the country in English-language literature.
Marietta Stankova is a historian of the Cold War and Communism. She holds a PhD in international history from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she has also taught.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria in British Foreign Policy, 1943–1949 | i | ||
| Title | iii | ||
| Copyright | iv | ||
| CONTENTS | v | ||
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | vii | ||
| LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS | ix | ||
| INTRODUCTION | 1 | ||
| Part One Allied Cooperation during the World War: ‘What Will Be the Place of Bulgaria at the Judgement Seat?’ | 13 | ||
| Chapter One BULGARIA IN BRITISH POSTWAR PLANNING | 15 | ||
| The Sources of British Policy towards Bulgaria | 16 | ||
| Military considerations | 16 | ||
| Britain’s support of Bulgaria’s neighbours | 18 | ||
| British Perceptions of the Soviet Role in the Balkans | 21 | ||
| Uncertainty about Soviet plans | 23 | ||
| British estimate of Soviet objectives | 25 | ||
| The need for cooperation with the Soviet Union | 27 | ||
| ‘Negative’ Planning for Bulgaria | 30 | ||
| No guarantees for Bulgarian sovereignty | 30 | ||
| The idea of a Balkan federation | 32 | ||
| Chapter Two GETTING BULGARIA OUT OF THE WAR | 37 | ||
| The Frustrations of the SOE | 37 | ||
| SOE vs FO contacts with Bulgaria | 38 | ||
| British military missions in Bulgaria | 41 | ||
| Secret operations in Bulgaria | 46 | ||
| The Logic of Military Necessities | 49 | ||
| The idea of a second front in the Balkans | 49 | ||
| Bombing Bulgaria | 52 | ||
| The Futile Peace Negotiations | 54 | ||
| Renewed political contacts | 54 | ||
| Bulgarian attempts at double-dealing | 57 | ||
| Soviet opportunism | 61 | ||
| British attitude to Soviet occupation of Bulgaria | 66 | ||
| Part Two Rising Tensions and Lowering Expectations during the Armistice: ‘Britain Has to Be a Little More than a Spectator’ | 71 | ||
| Chapter Three THE PRINCIPLES OF BRITISH POSTWAR POLICY TOWARDS BULGARIA | 73 | ||
| The Consequences of the ‘Percentages Agreement’ for Bulgaria | 74 | ||
| The problems of the Bulgarian armistice | 81 | ||
| The establishment of the Allied Control Commission for Bulgaria | 86 | ||
| The Meaning of Yalta and Potsdam for Bulgaria | 90 | ||
| Chapter Four OBSERVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNIST RULE IN BULGARIA | 97 | ||
| Involvement in the First Postwar Elections in Bulgaria | 98 | ||
| British doubts about Bulgarian democracy | 98 | ||
| Preparing for the elections | 102 | ||
| The unexpected postponement | 106 | ||
| Preparation for Elections in November 1945 | 110 | ||
| British involvement with political liberalization | 110 | ||
| The Consequences of the Etheridge Mission | 114 | ||
| Britain’s reaction to the Etheridge mission | 117 | ||
| The question of another diplomatic note | 118 | ||
| Chapter Five RECOGNIZING THE BULGARIAN COMMUNIST REGIME | 125 | ||
| The Moscow Council of Foreign Ministers | 126 | ||
| The Moscow advice | 127 | ||
| The first round of negotiations and Vyshinski’s mission | 130 | ||
| Britain’s Search for Alternatives | 132 | ||
| The final negotiations | 136 | ||
| Towards Recognition of the Communist Regime in Bulgaria | 138 | ||
| The familiar difficulty of policy formulation | 139 | ||
| Recognition without conditions | 143 | ||
| Looking for opportunities to grant recognition | 148 | ||
| Part Three Consolidation of the Cold War Frontline: ‘We Are Supporting\rCertain Principles’ | 157 | ||
| Chapter Six BRITISH ACCEPTANCE OF COMMUNIST RULE IN BULGARIA | 159 | ||
| Background of British Policy to Bulgaria | 159 | ||
| The diplomatic perspective | 161 | ||
| Anglo-Bulgarian Relations in the Aftermath of the Peace Treaty | 164 | ||
| Observing the final elimination of opposition | 166 | ||
| Attacks against the Western missions | 167 | ||
| The Search for Effective British Policy towards Bulgaria | 169 | ||
| Dealing with the political trials | 170 | ||
| Publicizing the ‘Bulgarian atrocities’ | 174 | ||
| Economic relations with Bulgaria | 178 | ||
| The International Dimension | 179 | ||
| Bulgarian involvement in the Greek Civil War | 180 | ||
| The danger of a Danubian federation | 182 | ||
| Observation of the military clauses of the peace treaty | 187 | ||
| Non-admission to the United Nations | 190 | ||
| CONCLUSION | 193 | ||
| NOTES | 201 | ||
| Introduction | 201 | ||
| Chapter One: Bulgaria in British Postwar Planning | 204 | ||
| Chapter Two: Getting Bulgaria Out of the War | 207 | ||
| Chapter Three: The Principles of British Postwar Policy towards Bulgaria | 213 | ||
| Chapter Four: Observing the Establishment of Communist Rule in Bulgaria | 217 | ||
| Chapter Five: Recognizing the Bulgarian Communist Regime | 221 | ||
| Chapter Six: British Acceptance of Communist Rule in Bulgaria | 226 | ||
| Conclusion | 232 | ||
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | 233 | ||
| I. Primary Sources | 233 | ||
| 1. Unpublished | 233 | ||
| 2. Published | 233 | ||
| II. Literature | 234 | ||
| 1. Diaries and memoirs | 234 | ||
| 2. Historiography | 235 | ||
| 3. Unpublished | 243 | ||
| INDEX | 245 |