My project studies the economic policies of Bulgaria and Poland
during the early 1970s to better understand how much the Soviet Union
influenced the fraternal communist regimes of Eastern Europe during the Cold
War. My project is the result of a class I took on “Nationalism in Eastern
Europe.” I was intrigued to study this period from the perspective of Eastern
Europe, as most general histories of the Cold War focus on the threat of the
Soviet Union. A general study of the Cold War revealed that the regimes of
Bulgaria and Poland practiced the greatest independence from the desires of the
Soviet Union in economic policy. My project seeks to better understand why, and
perhaps redefine the relationship between the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
My goal is to pursue a career in historical research and the URSP provides an
excellent opportunity to pursue more professional research than a typical
college class. My mentor guides me through project from the perspective of
contributing to historical scholarship. He often explains what will be expected
in a career as a researcher and how aspects of my project teach me those
skills. In short, I am able to conduct more extensive and rigorous research
that bridges the gap between normal college research and the skills required
for a career in the field.
Much of the work for my project consists of reading and writing. I occasionally
travel to an archive, such as the Library of Congress, where I read and write
some more. My typical week consists of reviewing document collections, reading
secondary and primary sources, tracking source materials referenced in
secondary sources, and typing up notes. I will soon be spending my week
primarily on writing an extensive paper. I regularly meet with my mentor who
asks pertinent questions to help me better analyze the data and clearly
communicate my findings.
A most useful finding this week was a collection of documents of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s. The documents revealed a
continuous focus on improving agriculture and the standard of living in the
Soviet Union, goals nearly identical to those of Poland and Bulgaria during the
same time. The Soviet Union was not so much concerned with raw power but
improving their economic performance and allowing Poland and Bulgaria to do
likewise.
