Bulgarian Communist Party
Encyclopedia
The Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) (Българска комунистическа партия / Balgarska Komunisticheska Partiya / БКП/BKP) was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state
. The Bulgarian Communist Party had dominated the Fatherland Front
coalition that took power in 1944, late in World War II
, after it led a coup against Bulgaria's tsarist government in conjunction with the Red Army
's crossing the border.
The party's origins lay in the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists), known as the Tesnyatsi (Tesni Socialisti, "Narrow Socialists"), which was founded in 1903 after a split in the 10th Congress of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party
.
The party's founding leader was Dimitar Blagoev
and its subsequent leaders included Georgi Dimitrov
. The party opposed World War I
, was sympathetic to the October Revolution
in Russia
and applied to join the Communist International upon its founding in 1919. Upon joining the Comintern the party was reorganised as the Communist Party of Bulgaria. Dimitrov was a member of the party's Central Committee
from its inception until his death in 1949 also serving as Bulgaria's leader from 1946. In 1938 the party merged with the Workers' Party to become the Bulgarian Workers' Party. In 1948 the BWP merged with the Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party to become the Bulgarian Communist Party once again.
Following Dimitrov's sudden death, the party was led by Vulko Chervenkov
, a Stalinist sympathiser who oversaw a number of party expulsions that met with Moscow
's approval. The party joined the Cominform
at its inception in 1948 and conducted expulsions against suspected "Titoites
" following the expulsion of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia from the alliance. Suspected counter-revolutionaries outside of the party were imprisoned. In March 1954, one year after Joseph Stalin
's death, Chervenkov was deposed.
From 1954 until 1989 the party was led by Todor Zhivkov
, who was very supportive of the Soviet Union
and remained close to its leadership after Nikita Khrushchev
was deposed by Leonid Brezhnev
. His rule led to relative political stability and an increase in living standards. The demands for democratic reform which swept Eastern Europe
in 1989 led Zhivkov to resign. The party moved in a more moderate direction, with some former members abandoning Marxism-Leninism
in 1990 and creating the Bulgarian Socialist Party
(BSP).
A number of old Communists established several splinter parties with an insignificant number of members. One of these parties named Communist Party of Bulgaria
(Komunisticeska Partija na Balgarija) is a party led by Alexander Paunov
.
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
. The Bulgarian Communist Party had dominated the Fatherland Front
Fatherland Front (Bulgaria)
The Fatherland Front was originally a Bulgarian political resistance movement during World War II. The Zveno movement, the communist Bulgarian Workers Party, a wing of the Agrarian Union and the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party, were all part of the FF...
coalition that took power in 1944, late in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after it led a coup against Bulgaria's tsarist government in conjunction with the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
's crossing the border.
The party's origins lay in the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party (Narrow Socialists), known as the Tesnyatsi (Tesni Socialisti, "Narrow Socialists"), which was founded in 1903 after a split in the 10th Congress of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party
Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party
The foundations of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers' Party were in 1894.In July 1891 on the initiative of Dimitar Blagoev, the social democratic circles of Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Kazanlak and other cities united to form the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party...
.
The party's founding leader was Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev Nikolov ; was a Bulgarian political leader, the founder of Bulgarian socialism and of the first social democratic party in the Balkans.-Biography:...
and its subsequent leaders included Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
. The party opposed World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was sympathetic to the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and applied to join the Communist International upon its founding in 1919. Upon joining the Comintern the party was reorganised as the Communist Party of Bulgaria. Dimitrov was a member of the party's Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
from its inception until his death in 1949 also serving as Bulgaria's leader from 1946. In 1938 the party merged with the Workers' Party to become the Bulgarian Workers' Party. In 1948 the BWP merged with the Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party to become the Bulgarian Communist Party once again.
Following Dimitrov's sudden death, the party was led by Vulko Chervenkov
Vulko Chervenkov
-Biography:Chervenkov was born in Zlatitsa, Bulgaria. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1919 and participated in communist youth group activities and newspaper editing. He took part in the failed 1923 September Uprising and was sentenced to death, but was allowed to emigrate to the...
, a Stalinist sympathiser who oversaw a number of party expulsions that met with Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
's approval. The party joined the Cominform
Cominform
Founded in 1947, Cominform is the common name for what was officially referred to as the Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties...
at its inception in 1948 and conducted expulsions against suspected "Titoites
Titoism
Titoism is a variant of Marxism–Leninism named after Josip Broz Tito, leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, primarily used to describe the specific socialist system built in Yugoslavia after its refusal of the 1948 Resolution of the Cominform, when the Communist Party of...
" following the expulsion of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia from the alliance. Suspected counter-revolutionaries outside of the party were imprisoned. In March 1954, one year after Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's death, Chervenkov was deposed.
From 1954 until 1989 the party was led by Todor Zhivkov
Todor Zhivkov
Todor Khristov Zhivkov was a communist politician and leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from March 4, 1954 until November 10, 1989....
, who was very supportive of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and remained close to its leadership after Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
was deposed by Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
. His rule led to relative political stability and an increase in living standards. The demands for democratic reform which swept Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
in 1989 led Zhivkov to resign. The party moved in a more moderate direction, with some former members abandoning Marxism-Leninism
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
in 1990 and creating the Bulgarian Socialist Party
Bulgarian Socialist Party
The Bulgarian Socialist Party is social-democratic political party in Bulgaria and successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. The BSP is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International, and is currently led by Sergei Stanishev....
(BSP).
A number of old Communists established several splinter parties with an insignificant number of members. One of these parties named Communist Party of Bulgaria
Communist Party of Bulgaria
The Communist Party of Bulgaria is a communist political party in Bulgaria. It is led by Alexander Paunov.The party was founded in 1996 as the Communist Party. Since 2001 it is part of the Coalition for Bulgaria, an alliance led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party...
(Komunisticeska Partija na Balgarija) is a party led by Alexander Paunov
Alexander Paunov
Aleksandar Dimitrov Paunov , is a Bulgarian politician, member of the Bulgarian National Assembly, and the leader of the current Communist Party of Bulgaria.He was born in the southern city of Pazardzhik and became an economist...
.