The Iron Curtain - boundary dividing Europe

into two separate areas from the end of

World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold
War in 1991.

The Soviet Union blocked itself and its

satellite states from open contact with the
West and non-Soviet-controlled areas.

On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the

countries influenced by the Soviet Union.
• Late 1980s and early 1990s –
A revolutionary wave resulted in the
end of communist rule in Central and
Eastern Europe.

• In November 1988, Estonia issued a

declaration of sovereignty, which led to
other states making similar declarations
of autonomy.
Dissolution of Soviet Union
•The Chernobyl disaster in April
1986 had major political and social
effects that catalyzed the
revolutions of 1989.

•To reform the distraught Soviet

Union, the democratization of the
Communist Party was promoted
through Party Secretary Mikhail
Gorbachev‘s policies of
“perestroika” and “glasnost”
• Perestroika -reconstruction
of the political and
economic system
established by the
Communist Party.
• Politically, contested
elections were introduced to
reflect the democratic
practices of Western society
and allow citizens to have a
say in government.
 Glasnost and Perestroika
• The term “Glasnost” means “openness” and was the name
for the social and political reforms to bestow more rights
and freedoms upon the Soviet people. Its goals were to
include more people in the political process through
freedom of expression
• Glasnost also permitted criticism of government officials,
encouraging more social freedoms like those that Western
societies had already provided
• Glasnost and Perestroika eventually helped cause the fall of
the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, which had
lasted from 1945 to 1991.
The Bulgarian
Resistance
Anti-Axis resistance during World War II
• It consisted of armed and
unarmed actions of
resistance groups against
the Wehrmacht forces in
Bulgaria and the Kingdom of
Bulgaria authorities.
• Participants in the armed
resistance were called
partizanin (a partisan) and
yatak (a helper, or a
supporter, someone who
provides cover for someone
else).
• The Communists had long despised the pro-German policy of
Prime Minister Bogdan Filov and even campaigned in 1940 for a
political pact with Moscow.
• Bulgaria's adhesion to the Axis :- German forces entered Bulgaria
on 1–2 March 1941 .
• August 1941 – The Bulgarian Communist Party set up the
resistance movement to oppose the pro-Nazi government.
• 22 June 1941 :- The German attack on the Soviet Union sparked
the rage of Communists and Russophiles in Bulgaria.
 Battle of Moscow
(1941-1942)
• Wehrmacht suffered a major defeat.
• This destroyed the myth of the
invincibility of the German army, and
showed that the blitzkrieg in the Soviet
Union had failed.
• These events led to a rise in the
partisans' manpower and prestige, they
halted the export of grain to Nazi
Germany, friendly relations with the
USSR, the United Kingdom and the
United States, the restoration of civil
freedoms, denunciation of non-
constitutional laws, cessation of military
actions against civil population.
• In August 1943 the Bulgarian Social
Democratic Workers Party joined the FF.
National Liberation Movement
• It is an Albanian resistance
organization that fought in
World War II.
• General Council – many
communist figures and
known nationalist figures
like Myslym Peza.
• The Albanian National
Liberation Army was created
by the NLM.
• The NLM was transformed
to Albanian National
Liberation Front and then
replaced by the Democratic
Front.
 Albanian resistance background

1. 7 April 1939 – Italy invaded Albania

2. 8 November 1941- creation of the Albanian Communist
Party Groups of 5-10 people engaged in various acts of
sabotage to the Italian forces.
3. June and July 1942 - interruption of all telegraphic and
telephone communications in Albania
4. Italians gave up on governing Northern Albania.
• Partisan bands - fifty or sixty men including a
communist commissary.
• The non communist commanders had the
freedom to do exactly what they were told.
• Operated both politically and militarily.
• Protected liberated zones
• The Mukje Agreement - a
treaty signed on August 2,
1943 in the Albanian village
of Mukje between the
nationalist Balli Kombëtar
and the communist
National Liberation
Movement.
• The two forces worked
together in fighting off
Italy's control over Albania.
• April 1944 - After the German
Winter Offensive the
communist partisans
regrouped, attacked the
Germans and gained control
of southern Albania
• May - a congress of the
National Liberation Front was
held in Përmet, an Anti-Fascist
Council of National Liberation
was elected as Albania's
provisional government.
• Enver Hoxha -
•The Communists despised the pro-German policy of Prime
Minister Bogdan Filov.

•The Sobolev action (1940) - political pact with Moscow

•1–2 March 1941 - German forces entered Bulgaria as a result of

Bulgaria's adhesion to the Axis.

•22 June 1941 - The German attack on the Soviet Union sparked
the rage of Communists and Russophiles in Bulgaria.
 Bulgarian Resistance
• August 1941 - the Bulgarian
Communist Party set up the
resistance movement to oppose
the pro-Nazi government.
• Armed and unarmed resistance
groups against the Wehrmacht
forces and the Kingdom of
Bulgaria authorities.
• partizanin (a partisan) -
participants in the armed
resistance.
• yatak - a helper, or a supporter,
someone who provides cover
for someone else
• Carried out arson and demolition of
arms, clothes and fuel warehouses,
communications, factories and
transport lines.
• Assassinated prominent Bulgarian
politicians, army and police leaders,
and Wehrmacht officers.
• Activities impaired the image of
Hitler's supporters in Bulgaria.
• Battle of Moscow. (1941-1942) - the
Wehrmacht suffered a major defeat