Vulko Chervenkov
Encyclopedia
Vulko Velev Chervenkov was a Bulgaria
n communist
politician.
, 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 Soviet Union.
. He attended the Marx-Lenin school in Moscow
and eventually became its director. He became a supporter of the governing style of Joseph Stalin
and was known for his high wit and knowledge of the communist doctrine. In 1941 Chervenkov became the director of a radio station which sent anti-German and pro-Communist messages to the Bulgarian people.
. Chervenkov became a member of the government which took office soon after the end of World War II
in 1945 which quickly came to be controlled by Communists. He became minister of culture in 1947, and became deputy prime minister in 1949. Shortly after becoming deputy prime minister, Bulgarian leader Georgi Dimitrov
died and Bulgaria temporarily adopted a model of collective leadership, with Chervenkov becoming general secretary of the party and Vasil Kolarov
becoming prime minister. Kolarov died in 1950, and Chervenkov was able to fuse the two most powerful offices in Bulgaria once again, with full Soviet approval.
system, inherrited from the wartime period, was abolished. Public healthcare and education were made free. The death of Stalin proved a severe blow for his rule. Chervenkov lost many of his posts, resigning from the position of general secretary on 4 March 1954 and resigning from the position of prime minister on 17 April 1956.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
politician.
Biography
Chervenkov was born in ZlatitsaZlatitsa
Zlatitsa is a town in southern Bulgaria located in the Zlatitsa-Pirdop valley, between Stara Planina to the north and Sredna Gora to the south at 680 meters above the sea level. It is situated immediately south in the lap of the Zlatitsa -Teteven Mountain...
, 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
September Uprising
The September Uprising was an armed insurgency staged in September 1923 by the Bulgarian Communist Party under Comintern pressure, as an attempt to overthrow the Democratic Accord government of Bulgaria that had come to power with the coup d'état of June 9. Besides its communist base, the...
and was sentenced to death, but was allowed to emigrate to the Soviet Union.
1925
In 1925 Chervenkov fled to the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He attended the Marx-Lenin school in 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...
and eventually became its director. He became a supporter of the governing style of 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...
and was known for his high wit and knowledge of the communist doctrine. In 1941 Chervenkov became the director of a radio station which sent anti-German and pro-Communist messages to the Bulgarian people.
1944
In 1944 Chervenkov returned to Bulgaria on a mission for his brother-in-law, Georgi DimitrovGeorgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
. Chervenkov became a member of the government which took office soon after the end of 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...
in 1945 which quickly came to be controlled by Communists. He became minister of culture in 1947, and became deputy prime minister in 1949. Shortly after becoming deputy prime minister, Bulgarian leader Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
died and Bulgaria temporarily adopted a model of collective leadership, with Chervenkov becoming general secretary of the party and Vasil Kolarov
Vasil Kolarov
Vasil Petrov Kolarov was a Bulgarian communist political leader and leading functionary in the Communist International.-Early years:Kolarov was born in Shumen, Bulgaria on 16 July 1877, the son of a shoemaker...
becoming prime minister. Kolarov died in 1950, and Chervenkov was able to fuse the two most powerful offices in Bulgaria once again, with full Soviet approval.
1950
Chervenkov's policies closely resembled those of the Soviet Union at the time, which earned him the nickname "Little Stalin". During his rule political opponents were sent into labour camps and attempts on imposing a personality cult were made. Persecutions against the Church were severe. On the other hand, massive industrialisation occurred, and a massive wave of collectivisation drastically increased agricultural production. The couponCoupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
system, inherrited from the wartime period, was abolished. Public healthcare and education were made free. The death of Stalin proved a severe blow for his rule. Chervenkov lost many of his posts, resigning from the position of general secretary on 4 March 1954 and resigning from the position of prime minister on 17 April 1956.