E-KsięgarniaThe aim of the conference is to analyse the activities and development of the Communist Parties in the Soviet bloc from the election of Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee (1985) to the autumn of nations, transformation and collapse of the system.
Communist parties ruling in the Soviet bloc countries responded in different ways to the incentives coming from Moscow to reform the system along the lines of Gorbachev's perestroika. Only in Poland and Hungary did the party leaderships decide to enter into talks with the opposition and change the power system.
Most of the Soviet bloc states were facing serious economic problems at this time. Ineffective economic policies, high levels of debt and a general decline in living standards led to the emergence of complex social crises. At the same time, none of the ruling Communist Parties could find a reliable recipe for reviving its national economy. Their attempts at economic reform were mostly half‑hearted, inconsistent and failed to produce the expected results.
The Communist Parties themselves were also in crisis, as they began to undergo a major generational change after four decades in power. Therefore, in several countries there was a partial exchange of people in power.
Communist parties from the other countries of the bloc also reacted to the round table talks and the parliamentary elections in Poland in 1989 in different ways. Ultimately, they all had to deal with social moods and protests.
The main topics of the conference will be:
- the reaction of the Communist Parties to the politics of perestroika in USSR;
- Communist Parties towards changes in international politics;
- international cooperation of the Communist Parties;
- attempts by the Communist Parties to reform the economy;
- generational change within the Communist Parties;
- the reaction of the Communist Parties to the Round Table talks and elections in Poland;
- Communist Parties towards opposition activities and social protests.
The conference is organized by the Institute of National Remembrance (Poland).
The partners: the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (Czech Republic), Nation’s Memory Institute (Slovakia), and Committee of National Remembrance (Hungary).
Accommodations, meals and travel expenses will be covered for presenters.
Contact person: Mirosław Szumiło (Institute of National Remembrance)
Please send the title and an abstract of your paper in English (max. 1000 characters) and a biographical note to the following e-mail addres: miroslaw.szumilo@ipn.gov.pl
Closing date for registration: 30th June 2024
Result of selection of contributions: 15th July 2024
The selection of papers will be made by the Conference Programme Committee. The conference will be held in English.
The outcome of the conference will be a peer-reviewed collective monograph.