Spread of communism 1918 - 1941, Spread of communism 1918 - 1941

I think it would be very stimulating to discuss the constant attempts of communism to infiltrate Western Europe from 1918 onwards. Starting with the German revolution of 1918/1919, with the tremendous rise of communism in France at the end of WWI, passing through Bela Kun's short-lived Hungarian government, and ending with Romania's virtual state of war with the Soviet Union in 1939/1940, when border skirmishes, air reconnaissance, and raids to capture Romanian soldiers for interrogation were common for the Red Army.

All these events were not random and isolated. They must have followed some sort of pattern, and some were likely interconnected as part of a greater strategy.

Post-WWII Soviet expansionism is well-known, but I don't think nearly enough has been written on this subject in the context of the Inter-war (WWI and WWII) period.

Romania had problems well before the border clashes of 1940. There was an a raid on Romanian soil and an "uprising" in 1924, at Tatar-Bunar.

In that year, during the 5th Congress of the International, a series of documents were issued. In one of them, entitled "The National Problem in Central Europe and the Balkans" there was a chapter "The Problem of Transylvania and Dobrogea".
Also the congress approved the idea of the Romanian Communist Party to militate for the separation of Transylvania and Dobrogea into autonomous regions.
The representatives of the Romanian Communist Party were:

Boris Stefanov
Gelbert Moscovici
Korosi Crisan
Finkelstein Fabian
Ecaterina Ralli
H. Gerstein

Two months later, the Tatar-Bunar revolt took place.

Between 1919 and 1925, in Bessarabia were registered over 120 terrorist acts, setting fire, manslaughter, espionage. Communist literature was distributed among people. The border line was frequently violated, especially because at that time the Romanian frontier guards were employees of the Ministry of Finance. Over 3,000 men were arrested and charged with espionage for USSR.

The communist propaganda was so spreaded that on 15 March 1921 in Romanian military barracks was initiated a counter-propaganda action.

Hi Guys,

It should not be forgotten that feudalism and capitalism were often harsh regimes and there was often great cause for resentment amongst peasants and workers. Thus the mere example of a successful popular revolution in Russia was widely inspirational, especially because the USSR's own failings and cruelties were hidden behind a massive propaganda campaign.

As I understand it, Romania took away many of the potential grievances that might have given Communism a greater hold in the country between the wars by massive land reform that broke up the great estates and gave the land to the peasants who tilled it. Is this true?

Cheers,

Sid.

The right to vote (for men) and land was the promise made to the soldiers, who were in their majority peasants, during WWI. Both reforms were carried out in a couple of years after 1919. There are some historians that claim that the 1921 land reform was probably the most democratical land reform in Eastern Europe. Land was given to all landless peasants, including Hungarians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Russians etc. The large landowners were supposed to receive money for the land they were forced to give away. But the mosieri didn't disappear. They lost political power (because of the universal vote) and parts of their estates, but they still had considerable wealth. The Bessarabian branch of my family had about a couple of thousand hectars (1 ha = 100 m x 100 m) and was left with only 600 ha afterwards. The WWII top ace, Constantin Cantacuzino, grew up on the Jilavele estate of his family, which even after the 1921 reform was still 1,172 ha (almost 12 square kilometers!).

After the July 17th 1921 law the process of land reform was complete, but out of the total of arable land in Romania the large properties continued to make up 10,4%. So there still were some mosieri.

Any info on a bomb found in the Senate in December 1920, attributed to communists?

There was an article on the trial of those involved in an issue of Magazin Istoric last year, IIRC. By the end of the month I should be able to access mine if anyone else doesn't have it.

8 December 1920 - Take a look in Political assassination attempts in Romania.

http://revista.memoria.ro/?location=view_article&id=231

http://revista.memoria.ro/?location=view_article&id=281

Very interesting links. Thanks to Imperialist and Carol for posting them!

Reviving the thread with fresh info, images mostly:

Enjoy,

Al

1. Communist terrorists:

Terrorist ringleaders:

Senate bombers: