Although the camp of the Communist states began breaking apart scarcely three years after the Soviet victory, the governments continued to share many attributes and to retain various interests in common. In the following pages the attempt is made to analyze, first, the political and economic systems of the states; second, their foreign relations both in regard to the rest of the world and within the Communist bloc; and, finally, their individual development. The sections dealing with the domestic developments in each nation emphasize the sharp divergence of the policies of Yugoslavia in both foreign and internal politics from those of the other Communist bloc countries.

internal developments

Theory: Marxism-Leninism

As we have seen, prior to 1945 most Balkan regimes had as their theoretical basis the national-liberal ideologies common to Western and Central Europe. To review briefly, liberal doctrines had been developed as a reaction to the autocratic and despotic governments in power and to the mercantile system. Although there was much disagreement on ultimate goals and methods, most liberals placed great emphasis on the introduction of political institutions that would free the individual from social, economic, and political constraints. They believed that citizens could best develop their own capabilities in an atmosphere of liberty and that society as a whole would benefit if government interference was reduced as much as possible.