Informbiro

Informbiro (also the Informbiro period or the Time of the Informbiro) was a period (1948-1955) in the history of Yugoslavia characterized by conflict and schism with the Soviet Union. The word Informbiro is a Yugoslavian abbreviation for "Information Bureau," from "Communist Information Bureau" (also: "Cominform").

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The term refers to the Cominform Resolution of June 28, 1948 that accused the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY), among other things, of "depart from Marxism-Leninism," exhibiting an "anti-Soviet attitude," "meeting criticism with hostility" and "reject to discuss the situation at an Informbureau meeting." Following these allegations, the resolution expelled the CPY from Cominform. As a result, Yugoslavia fell outside of the Soviet sphere of influence, and the country's brand of Communism, with its independence from the Soviet line, was called Titoism by Moscow and considered treasonous. Party purges against suspected "Titoites" were conducted throughout Eastern Europe.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Significant evidence supports the opinion that the actual reason for the Cominform Resolution was the unwillingness of Josip Broz Tito to obey the instructions of Joseph Stalin. The most serious disputes concerned policy in the Balkans. In particular, Yugoslavia was considered to be pushing too fast towards unification with Bulgaria and Albania; although following Stalin's proposal for a series of such unifications, Tito was seen to be proceeding without proper consultation with Moscow. Another issue was Tito's eagerness to "export revolution" to Greece.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Cominform Resolution is seen as a failed attempt by Stalin to command obedience not only from Tito, but from other national Communist parties as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Considering Stalin's brutal repression of other satellites' independent moves, it remains unclear what prevented him from miltary intervention. In his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev asserted that he was "absolutely sure that if the Soviet Union bordered Yugoslavia Stalin would have intervened militarily."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Khrushchev reconciled with Tito in 1955.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This period was also marked by dissent within the CPY and subsequent repression and deportations of many pro-Soviet members to labor camps and prisons, notably Goli Otok island.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This period figures prominently in Yugoslavian literature and cinema.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1948: 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar)....

1955: 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar....

Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Cyrillic ???????????) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. Translated, the name means Land of the South Slavs (jug in the word Jugo...