People’s democracy is a concept that was common in Soviet social science after the end of World War II. This type of government existed in a number of pro-Soviet states, mainly in Eastern Europe. It took shape as a result of the so-called "people's democratic revolutions."
In this article, we will define this concept, reveal its principles, and give specific examples.
Definition
In Soviet historiography, people's democracy was seen as a new form of transition to socialism in the post-war conditions. In fact, it began to develop during the Second World War, and after its end continued in several European countries.
It is important to understand that this is a people's democracy. In the Soviet Union, a sufficiently clear definition of the term was given. According to the scientists of that time, popular democracy meant the highest form of democracy. This was a phenomenon that swept the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. In particular, the definition of popular democracy was introduced in Bulgaria, Albania, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. It also spread to some Asian countries. Party bosses talked about what popular democracy means in the DPRK, China, and Vietnam. Now in most of these states the type of government has changed radically.
In historical science, popular democracy was considered a transitional model from bourgeois democracy to a socialist state.
Political principles
Formally, in the countries where this regime of government was established, a multi-party system was maintained. The governments of national fronts ruled by local communist parties were in power.
In Europe, such national fronts arose for solving well-defined tasks of national importance. This was the restoration of full national independence, liberation from fascism, and the provision of democratic freedoms to the population. The composition of these fronts in the countries of people's democracy included peasant, workers' and petty-bourgeois parties. In some states, bourgeois political forces also appeared in parliament.
During 1943-1945, governments of national fronts came to power in all countries of Southeast and Central Europe. For example, in Yugoslavia and Albania, they played a decisive role in the national liberation struggle against the Nazis. The communists who founded these national fronts ended up at the head of new governments in the countries of people's democracy. In some cases, coalition governments came to leadership.
People's Democratic Revolution
Socialist transformations within the framework of such revolutions made it possible to establish a regime of popular democracy. Often it turned out to be almost tame, completely controlled from Moscow. All this happened with the participation of parliaments, as well as within the framework of the existing bourgeois constitutions. At the same time, the demolition of the old state machine was carried out more slowly than in the Soviet Union. Everything happened gradually. For example, for some time the old political forms were preserved.
An important distinguishing feature of popular democracy was the preservation of equal and universal suffrage for all citizens. The only exception was the representatives of the bourgeoisie. At the same time, in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, for some time, under the regime of popular democracy, monarchies even operated.
Social and economic changes
The policy that the national fronts began to implement provided for the seizure of property from the Nazis and their immediate accomplices. If these were industrial enterprises, then state administration was established on them. At the same time, there were no direct requirements to liquidate capitalist property, although in fact this was happening. Cooperative and private enterprises were preserved under popular democracy. However, the public sector played an incomparably greater role than before the war.
It was believed that the development of the countries of popular democracy should be promoted by agrarian reform. According to its results, large landowner land tenure was liquidated. The principle of land ownership was applied to those who cultivate it. In full accordance with socialist ideas about the structure of the state.
The land that was confiscated was transferred for little money to the peasants; in part, it became state property. The first to lose it were the landowners who collaborated with the occupiers. Also confiscated the land of the Germans, who were deported to German territory. This situation has developed in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia.
International relationships
The states of people's democracy are countries that, in foreign policy relations, are guided by the Soviet Union in everything. Before the end of World War II, treaties and agreements were concluded with some governments on mutual assistance, friendship, and post-war beneficial cooperation. For example, with Czechoslovakia, the USSR signed such a document in December 1943, and with Poland and Yugoslavia in April 1945.
In countries that were ex-allies of Nazi Germany, they founded the Allied Control Commissions. These were Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. Representatives of the USA, the Soviet Union and Great Britain took part in the work of these commissions. However, due to the fact that only Soviet troops were present on the territory of these states, the USSR was able to exert a significantly greater influence on their economy and politics.
goal
The purpose of the formation of the countries of popular democracy was quite obvious. In this way, the Soviet Union was able to actually come to power in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The dream of a world revolution was realized, albeit in a somewhat modified form.
Once at the head of governments, the Communists began peacefully building socialism without social upheavals and civil wars. Everything was based on the creation of an interclass alliance, as well as the involvement of the widest possible range of local social and political forces in political life. That is, it was happening more gently than in the USSR itself.
Summary
The situation began to change dramatically after the start of the Cold War. During this period, political and economic confrontation intensified. Moreover, the existing political regimes had to be significantly tightened, and in some countries, the transition to socialist forms of government in the economy was accelerated.
By 1947, in the countries of people's democracy, the communist parties had completely supplanted all their right-wing allies from the National Fronts. As a result, they managed to strengthen their positions in economic life and government.
Throughout the 1950s and 1980s, the term was actively used to refer to all the socialist countries in which the multi-party system was preserved.
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
As an example, we will cite several countries in which this form of government was established. A key role in Czechoslovakia was played by the National Front, which lasted from 1945 to 1990.
Moreover, in fact, since 1948, the direct leaders of the National Front and the only ones who had real power in the country were representatives of the local Communist Party.
Initially, the front was formed as an association of patriotic and anti-fascist parties. During negotiations with the Communists, the parameters of his activities were determined.
- The front became a political union, which was to unite the whole nation. It was assumed that the activities of parties that would not be included in it would be banned. The decision to include parties in the National Front was to be taken by the six political organizations that founded it.
- The government should have represented all the parties that make up the front. Then it was supposed to hold parliamentary elections, the results of which will proportionally change the balance of power in favor of the winners.
- The government program was to be supported by all parties that are members of the National Front. Otherwise, they were subject to exclusion and subsequent prohibition.
- Between parties within the framework of the National Front, free political competition was allowed. In the elections, they had to compete among themselves in order to form their own coalitions in parliament.
The head of the first government of the National Front was the Social Democrat Zdenek Fierlinger.
Government formation
All parties belonging to the National Front advocated close relations with the Soviet Union, as well as for the transition to socialism. Only to a greater or lesser extent, since socialism was interpreted by different political forces in different ways.
As a result of the parliamentary elections, a new government was formed, led by the communist Clement Gottwald. Slovak and Czech communists received about half of the seats in parliament. The Communists almost openly sought to gain leadership positions in the National Front. In 1948, it was significantly reconstructed after the leaders of three parliamentary parties, except for the Communists, resigned. The rest accused yesterday’s partners of violating the principles of the association’s activities, after which they proposed to change the organization exclusively on a democratic basis. In addition to parties, it was supposed to attract trade unions and mass public organizations.
After that, action committees led by the communists began to form in institutions and enterprises. They were in the hands of real leverage to manage the situation. Since then, the National Front has become an organization that was completely and completely controlled by the Communists. The remaining parties, having carried out purges in their ranks, confirmed the leading role of the Communist Party in their country.
According to the results of the elections to the National Assembly in 1948, almost 90 percent of voters voted for the National Front. The Communists received 236 seats, the National Socialists and the People's Party of Czechoslovakia - 23 each, the Slovak Parties - 16. Two non-partisan candidates won two seats in parliament.
The national front played a decorative role in both the people's democratic and socialist Czechoslovakia, which was proclaimed in 1960. At the same time, it was a certain filter, since any mass organization had to join it in order to legalize its activities. From 1948 to 1989, all citizens of this country in the elections voted for a single list, which has never been an alternative. Nominated by his National Front. Almost entirely of its members consisted of the government. Representatives of non-communist parties owned no more than one or two portfolios. In the 1950s, the formal practice of discussing candidates nominated for elections was still used.
An attempt to revive the original idea of ​​the National Front was made in 1968 during the so-called Prague Spring. At that moment, the Central Committee was headed by the popular reformer Frantisek Kriegel. He spoke of the front as a nationwide political movement.
The Soviet Union reacted to such an attempt at democracy from a position of strength. After the election of Dubcek as the first secretary of the Central Committee and his reforms aimed at decentralizing power and expanding the rights and freedoms of citizens, Soviet tanks were introduced into Prague. This put an end to any attempts at reform and transformation.
The dissolution of the National Front took place only in 1989. All this time he played a key role in governing the country. As a result of the velvet revolution, the Communist Party lost its monopoly on power. By January 1990, the reconstruction of the parliament was completed, in which opposition representatives passed. Under the prevailing political conditions, the existence of the National Front proved meaningless. The parties that were part of it decided on voluntary self-dissolution. In March, an article was excluded from the constitution that regulated its role in the life of all of Czechoslovakia.
GDR
The situation in the German Democratic Republic developed similarly. The prototype of the National Front was created here at the end of 1947 under the name "Popular Movement for Just Peace and Unity." Already at his second congress, William Peak was elected chairman. A draft constitution was submitted and submitted.
In October 1949, the document was adopted, it was recognized by the Soviet occupation administration. Soon after, the public organization was renamed the National Front of Democratic Germany. Its participants were all legal political parties and movements, major trade unions. The post of president of the front was introduced. The first to take it was the non-partisan Erich Correns. Soon, it was decided to put forward uniform lists in the East German parliamentary elections.
Since there were no alternative lists, deputies and associations represented by the front invariably won. When certain German politicians declared the illegitimacy of such lists, they were imprisoned on charges of denying the law on elections in the GDR.
In 1989, the front lost its significance almost immediately after the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany and the Christian Democratic Union left it. A few days later, the ruling Socialist United Party of Germany was transformed into the Party of Democratic Socialism. She tried to distance herself as much as possible from her previous policy. In February 1990, amendments to the constitution were adopted, which excluded from it any mention of the National Front. Previously, they were kept there, as in almost all countries of popular democracy.
Some modern experts believe that, creating the All-Russian Popular Front in Russia in the spring of 2011, Vladimir Putin was inspired by the example of the National Front of the GDR.