Българското общество и комунистическата идеология (1944–1947)
Bulgarian Society and the Communist Ideology, 1944–1947

Summary/Abstract: Some scholars believe that it was only upon the conclusion of the so-called people's-democratic phase in the nation's history in 1947 that Stalinism began spreading in Bulgarian society. In reality, this process began on 9 Sept., 1944 when Bulgarian society became dependent on the communist ideology. With Moscow's help, the Bulgarian Communist Party succeeded in materializing its goals. On the other hand, although Bulgaria was an agrarian nation, the ideas of agrarianism did not gain much popularity among Bulgarians. The social democrats' endeavors to find a substitute for Marxism and bring the nation back to "classical socialism" were doomed. Finally, the low middle class ideas of a Bulgarian "middle road" did not provide an alternative to Stalinism, either. The spread of the communist ideology in Bulgaria went through the phases of: a/ bringing the old ideas, institutions and political figures into discredit; b/ creating a new system of norms which must regulate societal life and fill in the power vacuum; and c/ declaring the socialistic ideal of national well-being to be the only perspective of Bulgaria's development which has no alternative whatsoever. Brought under strong ideological pressure, Bulgarian society chose conformity as a model of social behavior.

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