Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T14:25:07.750Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter Four - Observing the Establishment of Communist Rule in Bulgaria

from Part Two - Rising Tensions and Lowering Expectations during the Armistice: ‘Britain Has to Be a Little More than a Spectator’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2014

Get access

Summary

The conclusion of the armistice invariably changed the substance of Britain's relations with Bulgaria. Securing the withdrawal of Bulgarian troops from Aegean Greece was seen as a significant diplomatic and tactical success for the British government. As Bulgaria's proximity to the Mediterranean continued to govern Britain's interest in the country, participation in the Bulgarian armistice regime was a valuable new channel for influence on Bulgaria's postwar development. Observations made by British political and military staff in Bulgaria would throw light on the actions and aspirations of local political actors, but also – and even more importantly – on the methods and aims of Soviet foreign policy in Bulgaria, the Balkans and Europe in general. Further, the ACC would be a forum for lower-level great-power cooperation: its functioning would test the desire of the Soviet Union to maintain friendly relations with the Western Allies.

Ironically, the importance of Bulgaria for Britain grew as a result of the Soviet occupation, whereby Bulgaria's military facilities were placed under Soviet control and its government looked to Moscow for internal and international support. Bulgaria's dealings with its neighbours and its attitude to the Western powers would be determined by, and therefore would be symptomatic of, Soviet postwar plans. In the second half of 1944, British leaders were increasingly worried that the Soviet Union might use such a newly acquired position of power in the Balkans to encroach on territories beyond those conceded to it and so endanger long-term British interests further afield.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Anthem Press
Print publication year: 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×