The underlying theme of this new study is the communists' attempt to mould the region's varied economic, social, intellectual and cultural characteristics according to the model of the Soviet Union.

Part 1 Introduction; Chapter 1 General Background; Part 2 Analysis; Chapter 2 The Seizure of Power; Chapter 3 The Imposition of the Stalinist System; Chapter 4 StalinâEUR(TM)s System at its Height; Chapter 5 De-Stalinization and the Critical Year of 1956; Chapter 6 A Decade of Consolidation; Part 3 Assessment; Chapter 7 Achievements and Failures; Part 4 Documents;