Salami tactics were a method used by the Soviet Union to gain political control over Eastern Europe, step-by-step, like slicing off pieces of a salami.
It was named after a comment by Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi.
Stages
Soviets supervised the organization of governments in Eastern European states, establishing a broad alliance of 'anti-fascists.'
Each party was 'sliced off,' one after the other.
The Communist 'core' remained, and local Communists were replaced with Moscow-trained people if necessary.
Soviet trustworthy leaders in Eastern Europe
By the end of 1946, Baggage Train leaders returned to Eastern Europe. These were men who had spent much of the war in Moscow and were considered 'trustworthy' by the Soviets.
Examples: Bierut in Poland, Kolarov in Bulgaria, Pauker in Romania, and Rakosi in Hungary.
They ensured that post-war governments in their countries would be dominated by Moscow-backed, 'Stalinist' Communists.
Delayed free elections in Eastern Europe
Promised by Stalin at Yalta to occur within weeks, they weren't held until 19 January 1947.
Before the elections, there was a campaign of murder, censorship, and intimidation. Over 50,000 people were deported to Siberia.
Case study - poland
In the elections in Poland, Mikolajczyk’s Polish Peasant Party had 246 candidates disqualified; 149 were arrested and 18 murdered. One million voters were removed from the electoral register.
Desmond Donnelly in his book Struggle for the World argued that it wasn't surprising that Bierut’s Communists secured complete control in Poland due to the intimidation.
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History SL
Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)
Unveiling The Salami Tactics: How The USSR Dominated Eastern Europe
Salami tactics were a method used by the Soviet Union to gain political control over Eastern Europe, step-by-step, like slicing off pieces of a salami.
It was named after a comment by Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi.
Stages
Soviets supervised the organization of governments in Eastern European states, establishing a broad alliance of 'anti-fascists.'
Each party was 'sliced off,' one after the other.
The Communist 'core' remained, and local Communists were replaced with Moscow-trained people if necessary.
Soviet trustworthy leaders in Eastern Europe
By the end of 1946, Baggage Train leaders returned to Eastern Europe. These were men who had spent much of the war in Moscow and were considered 'trustworthy' by the Soviets.
Examples: Bierut in Poland, Kolarov in Bulgaria, Pauker in Romania, and Rakosi in Hungary.
They ensured that post-war governments in their countries would be dominated by Moscow-backed, 'Stalinist' Communists.
Delayed free elections in Eastern Europe
Promised by Stalin at Yalta to occur within weeks, they weren't held until 19 January 1947.
Before the elections, there was a campaign of murder, censorship, and intimidation. Over 50,000 people were deported to Siberia.
Case study - poland
In the elections in Poland, Mikolajczyk’s Polish Peasant Party had 246 candidates disqualified; 149 were arrested and 18 murdered. One million voters were removed from the electoral register.
Desmond Donnelly in his book Struggle for the World argued that it wasn't surprising that Bierut’s Communists secured complete control in Poland due to the intimidation.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of History SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟