Author: I. I. ORLIK

Editorial Board: N. I. Lebedev (Editor-in-chief), A. A. Yazkova (Deputy Editor-in-chief), E. D. Karpeshchenko, I. E. Levit, Yu. A. Pisarev. 1971. 742 pp. The print run is 3,800. Price 3 rubles. 12 kopecks.

The scientific publication devoted to the modern history of Romania is the completion of a large long-term work of a team of Soviet historians. Many of the authors ¹ of this book are known for their work on particular problems or periods of Romanian history2 . However, the preparation of a monographic study covering more than half a century of the history of the Romanian people naturally required the combined efforts of many Romanian historians. Only a large scientific team was able to overcome serious difficulties in the preparation of this publication, related both to the breadth of the study and to the lack of development of some problems of the history of Romania.

The analysis of numerous documentary materials, including those from Soviet and Romanian archival collections, allowed the authors ' team to explore issues of Romanian history that are still not fully covered in the scientific literature. The authors use the research of Soviet and Romanian historians in their work. During the preparation of the monograph, key and most complex issues were discussed with the participation of Romanian historians.

The modern history of Romania is quite reasonably divided in the book into two large periods: the years of the bourgeois-landlord state.-

¹ Authors: A.V. Antosyak, P. P. Vandel, E. D. Karpeshchenko, Ya. M. Kopansky, N. I. Lebedev, I. E. Levit, I. P. Oleynik, T. A. Pokivailova, V. I. Potapov, A.M. Telefus, M. V. Fridman, A. A. Shevyakov, A. A. Yazkova.

² See, for example, the works of: N. I. Lebedev. Romania in the years of the Second World War. M. 1961; his. The Romanian People's Republic in Modern International Relations, Moscow, 1962. The Fall of the Antonescu Dictatorship, Moscow, 1966. "The Iron Guard", Karol II and Hitler, Moscow, 1968; N. I. Lebedev, E. D. Karpeshchenko. History of the Romanian People's Republic, Moscow, 1964; Ya. M. Kopansky, I. E. Levit. Soviet-Romanian relations. 1929-1934 Moscow, 1971; I. P. Oleynik. Victory of Socialism in Romania, Moscow, 1962; A. A. Yazkova. Romania on the eve of World War II. 1934-1939. Moscow, 1963; her own. Narodnaya Rumania, Moscow, 1965.

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under the Soviet Rule (1917-August 23, 1944) and the period after August 23, 1944, when Romania embarked on the path of building socialism. Accordingly, the entire book is divided into two large parts.

The first chapter examines the situation of Romania in the years after the October revolutionary upsurge, and the impact of the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia on the masses of Romania. The slogans of peace, land, freedom and independence proclaimed by the October Revolution were familiar and understandable to its workers. "A number of reasons contributed to the fact that the ideas of the Great October Revolution found favorable ground in Romania. In Romania, capitalist oppression was intertwined with remnants of feudal-serf forms of exploitation. Social contradictions sharply escalated in the village and city. The Romanian proletariat, despite its small number (in 1915 there were more than 250,000 workers in the country), was promoted by the course of events to the role of hegemon of the revolutionary movement" (p.11).

The book correctly notes that there were many symptoms of the socio - political crisis in the country, caused by the consequences of the prolonged imperialist war, which brought incalculable disasters to the Romanian people. Along with a detailed study of the economic situation of Romania, its domestic and foreign policy in 1917-1921, a large part is devoted to the characteristics of the revolutionary movement in the country. The growth of the Romanian revolutionary movement gave rise to V. I. Lenin's statement that the fire of the proletarian insurrection had "spread to Romania." ³

A major success of the Romanian labor movement during these years was the evolution of the left Social Democrats towards revolutionary socialism and the creation of revolutionary groups. But the left socialists, the authors note, did not yet have a clear idea of the nature of the future revolution in Romania. They failed to correctly raise the question of the interrelationship and development of the bourgeois-democratic revolution into a socialist one.

The revolutionary forces of the country at that time faced two main tasks: the unification of the socialist movement in all regions of the country and the break with reformism. "The territorial disunity of the socialist organizations hindered the united actions of the Romanian working class. In parallel with the struggle for organizational unity in the socialist movement, the process of dividing between revolutionary and reformist trends accelerated" (p.45).

The struggle of the Romanian revolutionary forces led to the creation of the Romanian Communist Party in May 1921.4 This was a turning point in the development of the revolutionary movement in the country. The creation of the Communist Party marked the historic victory of Marxism-Leninism over reformism and opportunism in the Romanian labor movement (p. 79).

A large part of the book is devoted to describing the essence of the temporary and partial stabilization of capitalism in Romania in 1922-1928, revealing the situation in the country during the world economic crisis of 1929-1933. The second and third chapters of the monograph are devoted to these two problems.

An analysis of the specific economic situation of the country allows the authors of the book to draw the correct conclusion that the contradictions inherent in the capitalist system and the entire capitalist system as a whole were not resolved during this period, but as events developed further, they became more and more acute. Dependence on international capital increased, and public debt increased. The increasing exploitation of Romanian workers and the large number of unemployed in the mid-1920s, the book emphasizes, were fraught with the danger of a new upsurge in class warfare for the ruling circles. The incompleteness of agrarian reform and the strengthening of the capitalist elite of the countryside were also fraught with social conflicts.

The reactionary domestic policy of Romania's ruling classes was combined with an equally reactionary foreign policy. While Soviet diplomacy made serious efforts to achieve normalization of relations with Romania, its rulers took an active part in creating a "cordon sanitaire" on the borders with the USSR. Reactionary Romanian circles shaped their country's foreign policy

³ V. I. Lenin. PSS. Vol. 35, p. 393.

⁴ The party retained its name until February 1948, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form the Romanian Workers ' Party; in 1965, it was renamed the Romanian Communist Party.

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in accordance with the interests of the Western Powers. In the early 1920s, with the support of imperialist circles, Romania, like other countries - members of the Lesser Entente, pursued a hostile policy towards the USSR.

The book correctly notes that the policy of the imperialist powers was contrary to the national interests of Romania, as it contributed to its further economic and political enslavement by international imperialism. "Nevertheless, the reactionary Romanian ruling circles stubbornly followed this path and systematically rejected the peace-loving proposals of their eastern neighbor, the Soviet state" (p. 117).

The global economic crisis in the late 1920s exposed the contradictions of bourgeois-landowner Romania: contradictions within the ruling circles intensified, and the struggle of certain groups of the bourgeoisie and landlords for power became more acute. This, in particular, was reflected in the further fragmentation of bourgeois political organizations and parties, and frequent changes of government. At the same time, the labor movement grew throughout the country. In the summer of 1929, the struggle of the working class in the Jiu Valley reached a great scale. The strike movement was rising to a new level. In the course of this struggle, the united Workers ' front was actually implemented.

In the context of the worsening class struggle, the Communist Party "needed unity of ranks, a cohesive core of leaders capable of ensuring clear and purposeful work of the entire revolutionary underground. However, it was precisely at this time (late 1929 - early 1930) that an unprincipled factional struggle broke out in the leading bodies of the Communist Party" (p.152). In difficult conditions for the party, the Comintern was of great help, as in many other cases. The question of the situation in the Communist Party was specifically considered in August 1930 at a meeting of the political secretariat of the Executive Committee of the Comintern. The resolution of the Executive Committee "On unprincipled factional struggle and on restoring the unity of the Communist Party of Romania" analyzed the causes of factional struggle (opportunism, bureaucratic methods of leadership, petty-bourgeois adventurism) and pointed out the need to work on improving the party, correcting mistakes, improving all its activities; it recognized the need to begin preparations for the next party congress (p. 153 - 154).

The book clearly shows the role of the Communist Party of Romania in rallying the revolutionary forces, in the struggle for the unity of the working class, in developing the strategy and tactics of the revolutionary movement. In this connection, some theoretical propositions put forward by the Fifth Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in December 1931 are considered. Thus, based on an analysis of the economic and political situation in the country, the congress determined the nature and objectives of the revolution in Romania. Noting that Romania is one of the most backward countries in terms of capitalist development (its economy still has strong semi - feudal remnants), the congress concluded that Romania is facing the completion of the bourgeois-democratic revolution, which will then quickly develop into a socialist revolution.

The revolutionary actions of railway and oil workers in February 1933 marked a new page in the history of the Romanian labor movement. The February events were a great school for the revolutionary education of the workers, enriched the proletariat with valuable experience in the struggle, bound the Communist Party more closely to the main detachments of the working class, and dealt a blow to opportunism and reformism in the ranks of the working-class movement. In the course of preparing for the proletariat's actions in 1933, and also in the subsequent period, new leaders, hardened in class battles, emerged from its ranks. The February battles further strengthened the party's ties with various social groups, which later united in a common front of struggle against fascism.

The fourth and fifth chapters of the book provide an in-depth analysis of the pre-war period of Romania's history. They show the growing threat of fascism, the struggle of democratic forces for the creation of the people's anti-fascist front, the activities of the Communist Party during the royal dictatorship and the military fascist regime.

The Seventh Congress of the Comintern played an enormous role in intensifying the struggle of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation to unite all the progressive forces of the country against the danger of fascism. Taking into account the instructions of the Comintern, in the autumn of 1935 and in the winter of 1936, the Communist Party intensified its efforts to rally the working class and unite the entire Soviet union.-

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It covers all social strata interested in the democratic development of the country and the protection of peace. "The basis of all the activities of the Communist Party aimed at creating a Popular Front was the struggle for the establishment of a militant unity of action of the working class" (p.206).

Since the Seventh Congress of the Comintern, the Communist Party has done considerable work to organize the anti-fascist struggle, to establish unity of action between the working class and all working people, and to unite all anti-imperialist forces in a popular anti-fascist front. In the struggle of the working people against the advance of fascism, a special role was played by "mass anti-fascist organizations created on the initiative of the Communist Party and against the will of the social-democratic leadership" (p.207).

The book covers issues of international life in the 1930s and the activities of Soviet diplomacy aimed at normalizing relations with Romania. After the establishment of diplomatic relations with Romania in June 1934, the Soviet Union made many efforts to further bring the two countries closer together and strengthen their cultural, scientific and business ties. In 1935, negotiations were initiated between Soviet and Romanian representatives to conclude a mutual assistance pact. Patriotic anti-fascist forces of the country supported the idea of establishing allied relations with the USSR. However, the negotiations were stalled and systematically stymied by the actions of the Romanian reaction.

The foreign policy activities of the royal dictatorship, established in the country since February 1938, were aimed at adapting to the new conditions that had developed in Europe due to the growth of aggressive plans of Germany and the desire of Britain and France to direct Hitler's aggression to the East. In this situation, Royal Rumania embarked on a balancing act between the Western imperialist Powers. The book reveals in detail the evolution of the royal dictatorship, the bankruptcy of its policy, and shows the conditions for the establishment of the military-fascist dictatorship of Antonescu.

In foreign policy, Antonescu's military-fascist dictatorship immediately linked itself with the Hitler bloc. In domestic politics, it has taken a course to turn Romania into a fascist state. The regime of the fascist dictatorship in the country was even more terrorist than under the royal dictatorship. "Unlike the royal dictatorship, the military-fascist Antonescu regime did not consider it necessary to maintain even the appearance of parliamentarism. He abolished the Constitution, eliminating all civil rights. Many industrial enterprises were militarized, military discipline was applied to workers and employees, and violators were tried by a military tribunal" (p.270).

The book shows the struggle for reunification with the USSR of the workers of Bessarabia, occupied by Romania during a difficult time for Soviet Russia, and reveals the successful diplomatic actions of the USSR aimed at returning their legitimate lands.

The final chapter of the first part of the book is devoted to Romania during the Second World War, the struggle of the Romanian people against the military-fascist dictatorship. The participation of bourgeois-landowner Romania in the war against the USSR led it to military and political bankruptcy and increased its economic difficulties. As a result of the war and economic "cooperation" with Hitler's Germany, Romania's economic situation became disastrous. The war and Hitler's looting undermined the country's economy.

The second part of the book opens with a chapter that examines the main stages of the liberation of the Romanian people from the fascist yoke. The Red Army's victories at the front weakened the forces of fascist reaction and created more favorable conditions for the development of the anti-fascist struggle of the peoples. "Of particular importance for the victory of the Romanian people's liberation struggle," the resolution of the Central Committee of the RCP on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Romanian Communist Party notes, "were the brilliant victories won by the glorious Red Army, the heroic peoples of the Soviet Union, who bore the brunt of the anti - Hitler war, making a decisive contribution to the liberation of peoples from the Fascist yoke." ⁵ The approach of Soviet troops to the borders of Romania caused disarray in the ranks of the ruling classes, increased the crisis of the military-fascist dictatorship, and created favorable conditions for the development of the country.

⁵ "Scinteia", 11.VII.1970.

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the activities of the Communist Party, which took the course of an armed uprising.

The Romanian Communist Party skillfully used these favorable conditions to overthrow the fascist dictatorship. On August 20, when the Iasi-Kishinev operation began, it was decided that the duration of the armed uprising would depend on the advance of Soviet troops across the country. The uprising of August 23, 1944 was an event of historical significance in the life of the Romanian people: a popular revolution began, during which bourgeois-landlord rule was destroyed. Romania left the fascist bloc and joined the anti-fascist coalition.

The reader is further presented with all the details of the process of establishing and strengthening the people's democratic system in Romania. The people's Revolution unfolded in a very difficult situation. The victory of the armed uprising on August 23 did not immediately lead to the establishment of a democratic system. The Government formed after the overthrow of the military fascist dictatorship consisted mostly of reactionary generals and representatives of bourgeois parties. The Communists and Social Democrats had only one seat each in the Government. Only after a long and difficult struggle of the masses under the leadership of the Communist Party did a democratic government come to power on March 6, 1945, with representatives of the working masses playing a decisive role. The participation of representatives of the liberal bourgeoisie in the government did not change the character of the new state power, "which in its essence was a revolutionary-democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry. On March 6, 1945, a profound qualitative change in the content of state power took place, and the people's democratic system was established" (p.460). With the establishment of the People's Democratic Government, the Communist Party became the leading force in the state, and its policies determined all domestic and foreign policy activities of the new Government. This created favorable conditions for the completion of the bourgeois-democratic revolution and its development into a socialist revolution.

The book shows the international situation of Romania in the first years after its liberation from fascism, reveals the repeated attempts of the United States and Great Britain to get the USSR to agree to change the composition of the government of P. Groza. The Soviet Union persistently defended the right of the Romanian people to decide their own fate and carry out democratic transformations. This was demonstrated once again at the Moscow meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the USSR, the United States, and Great Britain in December 1945, when the Western powers tried to force the inclusion of representatives of the Romanian reaction in the democratic government and ensure its dominant position in the government. The position of the USSR prevented the implementation of the imperialist plan (p. 470). At the Paris Peace Conference of 1946, when the imperialist Powers sought to impose an unjust peace treaty on the People's Democratic Republic of Romania, its Government also relied on the help of the Soviet Union in its struggle against these plans (pp. 480-481). Subsequently, the political and diplomatic support of the countries of the socialist camp, especially the USSR, strengthened the position of the People's Republic of Romania on the world stage and helped it successfully repel the attacks of the imperialist powers. For nine years, the Soviet Union persistently fought for her admission to the UN. In December 1955, thanks to the firm position of the USSR and on its initiative, the Romanian People's Republic was able to take its rightful place in this international organization (p. 545).

In the difficult conditions of internal political struggle and pressure from international reaction, the Romanian people will also receive broad economic assistance from the Soviet Union. In May 1945, the governments of the USSR and Romania signed agreements on the exchange of goods (for a period of one year), on economic cooperation (for a period of five years), which played an important role in restoring the economic life of the country, in the fight against post-war economic ruin. The difficulties of economic recovery were caused not only by the sabotage of the bourgeoisie. Two years in a row, in 1945 and 1946, Romania suffered droughts and crop failures. The country was threatened with famine. Saving the fraternal Romanian people from him, the USSR lent him 15 thousand wagons of wheat and 15 thousand wagons of corn, although he himself was experiencing at that time

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difficulties in supplying its population with bread. In April 1946, the Soviet government lent Romania another 100,000 tons of grain, as well as an installment payment of reparations from 6 to 8 years (p.478). The Soviet Union's aid to Romania with raw materials played an important role in restoring its economy. In exchange for Soviet goods and industrial raw materials, Romania supplied petroleum products, timber, and construction materials, contributing in turn to the post-war recovery of the Soviet economy.

Covering such important domestic political events as the National Conference of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in October 1945, the victory of the democratic forces in the parliamentary elections in November 1946, the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of Romania as a People's Republic , ⁶ the authors emphasize the special importance of strengthening close ties with the Soviet Union and other European countries

The book covers in depth the socio-economic transformations in Romania over the past twenty-odd years. Three chapters of the book are devoted to this stage of the country's life. Nationalization of fixed means of production allowed the people's state to move to new forms of management. The working class, having political power and the main levers of economic management, could now move to the planned management of the national economy. At first, this was implemented in the annual plans of 1949 and 1950. Short-term planning was explained by a lack of experience, a lack of qualified personnel to develop plans for a longer period of time.

The construction of socialism entered a new, higher phase with the adoption of the first five - year plan for the development of the national economy of the Republic of Moldova for 1951-1955 and the ten - year plan for electrification of the country (1951-1960). The main task of the first five-year plan was to gradually oust capitalist elements from all branches of the national economy of Romania, so that these elements industry and are significantly limited in agriculture. The five-year plan aimed to build the economic base of socialism.

For the first time, the book provides a comprehensive study of the main directions of creating the foundations of socialism in Romania and the transition to building a developed socialist society. The two chapters (11 and 12), which cover the period from 1956 to 1970, are rich in factual material and cover the forms and methods of economic construction, improvement of economic management, changes in the social structure of society, and Romania's foreign economic relations. A successful combination of economic and historical-political analysis makes it possible to draw a complete picture of the cardinal historical transformations of all aspects of the country's life during this period.

"As a result of the fulfillment of the tasks set by the first five-year plan for the development of the national economy of the Republic of Belarus, the question" who is who?" in industry, it was finally and irrevocably decided in favor of socialism. During the second five-year plan, the main efforts of the party and the people were concentrated on fulfilling the tasks of industrialization and socialist transformation of agriculture in order to create the material and technical base of socialism, a unified socialist economy" (p.592). Further economic development of the country led to the transformation of the country into an industrial-agrarian state.

The authors pay great attention to revealing the main directions of Romania's foreign economic relations, especially with other socialist countries. The expansion and development of cooperation between the socialist countries created more and more favorable conditions for the optimal use of the increased economic potential of the People's Republic of Belarus and its intensive participation in international economic turnover.

The book reveals the main directions of Romania's foreign policy in the last decade, covers in detail the SRR's positions on major international issues, its joint activities with other countries within the framework of the Warsaw Pact Organization. At the same time, special features of the SRR's foreign policy course, which differed from the positions of other Warsaw Pact member states, are also noted (pp. 665, 667, 669, 672). So, for example, "during the crisis in

⁶ On August 21, 1965, the Grand National Assembly adopted a new constitution and fixed the new name of the state - the Socialist Republic of Romania (SRR).

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Due to the machinations of the world reaction and internal anti - socialist forces, the Romanian leadership took a position that differed from the position of other Warsaw Pact member countries that helped the people of Czechoslovakia defend their socialist gains" (p.672).

Along with revealing the socio-economic and political life of the country, the authors reflect the main directions of cultural development of the Romanian people. The sixth and thirteenth chapters are devoted to this. Especially impressive is the picture of the broad development of public education, science, literature and art in socialist Romania.

An important event of recent years in the life of the country was the X Congress of the RCP in August 1969. The book analyzes in detail the materials of the congress. The directives of the Tenth Congress of the RCP on the five-year plan for 1971-1975, as well as the main directions of economic construction developed by the party for 1971-1980, provide for the further development of the national economy of the country and the transition to the creation of a fully developed socialist society. The data presented in the monograph show that the achievements of the Romanian people in the development of the economy, science, culture, in all areas of social and political life are inextricably linked with their relations with other socialist countries. As a member of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Pact Organization, Romania has the opportunity to enjoy economic and political support from other countries that are members of these international socialist organizations, to carry out comprehensive cooperation for the benefit of the Romanian people. Romania's cooperation with the Soviet Union is of particular importance, as before.

The basis for the further development and strengthening of relations between the USSR and the SRR is the Soviet-Romanian Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance concluded in July 1970. Based on the principles of mutual assistance and the international socialist division of labor, the two sides agreed to develop and deepen mutually beneficial economic, scientific and technical cooperation, expand production and scientific and technical cooperation, and promote the development of economic ties and cooperation within the framework of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and with other socialist countries. "For the strengthening and development of all-round Soviet-Romanian cooperation," he noted in his speech at the Romanian-Soviet friendship rally in Bucharest on July 7, 1970. Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR A. N. Kosygin, - there are all objective prerequisites. But this, of course, does not mean that everything we plan can happen automatically" (p.675).

In conclusion, it should be noted that the main advantage of the book is the complex nature of the research conducted by the author's team. The article covers the political, economic, social, diplomatic, ideological, and cultural aspects of the history of the Romanian people for more than half a century. However, not everything is equally deeply revealed. Some aspects of the country's development, such as socio-economic ones, are explored much more deeply in the chapters of the second part of the book, and in the first part foreign policy is studied in more detail.

Unfortunately, the book lacks an overview of contemporary Romanian historiography. The few pages (pp. 315-317) devoted to the Romanian historiography of 1918 - 1939 cannot satisfy the reader. The historiographical section of the work, which covers a large period of Romanian history, seems very necessary, since it could reflect the complex process of formation of Marxist-Leninist historiography in Romania, its struggle with bourgeois concepts, and trace the changes in the views of some Romanian researchers on the problems of modern Romanian history.

Closing the last page of the book, we can note with satisfaction that Soviet Romanian studies have been enriched by a new major study of the history of socialist Romania.

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