Authors

Vesselin Dimitrov¹;  ¹ London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Discussion

This paper examines perhaps the most dramatic Western diplomatic victory in Eastern Europe in the postwar period - the postponement of the Bulgarian general election in August 1945. The paper uncovers the ambivalence, equivocation and contradictions in the policies of the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain, as they tried to come to terms at Potsdam with the transition from war to peace in Europe. The paper also highlights the importance of agency, revealing the critical role played by US and British representatives in Bulgaria and by domestic political actors in the genesis and resolution of the crisis.