SOVIET INDOCTRINATION AND CONTROL/EDUCATION/MILITARY/COLLECTIVIZATION/RESISTANCE/PURGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400310006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: April 12, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INT4L1GENCE AGENCY
INIPOPIONAlei604 fkitPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Soviet Indoctrination and Control/Education/
Military/Collectivization/Resistance ges
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PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQU I RED
'TS OF
TWIN DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AfFECTINO THE NATIONAL DAFENIE
0, TOE UNITED STATES, WITHIN TOE NNNNNNN OF TITLE IS, SECTIONS 793
AND 714, or THE U.I. CODE, AS A11{01010. ITS NNNNNN 114104 OW SIDE.
LATI0N 0, ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT SW AN UNAUTNOSIZED PIAUI, IS
PAONIIIPED SY LAW. THE REASODUCTION OF ?NIS PAIN IS PRONIDITED.
LU NU.
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DATE DISTR. / Apr 1954
NO. OF PAGES 7
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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Bulgaria, an independent nation for over 70 Years, has had .a turbulent history,
one marked by many revolutions diming the past 500 years. . Consequently, she
is well indoctrinated as to the attitudes which she must assume during such
periods of Unrest. Today j95,7 we might liken her and her present population
to a tortoi0e in a tempest, with her shell clammed over, awaiting the blowing
over .of the Storm. Popular discontent, although passive at the moment, is
directed towa-da uly of the Communist groups which now occupy Bulgaria. The
? reaction towards ?the Soviets And Soviet authority since Stalin's death is
premised on fear. The Bulgars realize that whenever purges occur in the
? Soviet Union proper:the Communist administration of Bulgaria itself is subject
to -purge. Since the administration is thus in jeopardy, the civilian popula-
tion also lives in fear, a Much deeper fear than the authorities, for they
realize that any purge in Bulgaria always reaches down to their level far more
severely and more extensively.
2. Reaction to the death of Stalin in Bulgaria culminated in greater fear of
more stringent regimentation and. a possible upheaval among all strata of
Bulgarian society. The softer policY of the USSR towards her satellite
subjects subsequent to the death of Stalin may have been realized in the
Soviet Union proper, in Rumania, in Hungary and the other Satellite but
? not in Bulgaria. The :Premier. of Bulgaria, (Chervenkov', a thick skinned
individual and. a hard core Communist, permits no laxity whatsoever_ -- the
policy is as stringent as ever. With the exception of the privileged classes,
that is, the hierarchy in the Communist Party.and the biologically inferior,
everyone is dissatisfied. with existing conditions in the country.
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From the '140er StratUM.14 to the highest level, the Bulgarian people as a
,
whole areVer *Oh surprited at the low personal standards of the Soviet
peitkinO*1: iain fact, their attitude is one ofatamement. Soviet
prOPaiand6 waick always pertrayed the superiOrity of the USSR over the
capitalistic vo.'34, loathe Bulgarian poiaulace to believe that Soviet
stanard.s vee Vary high, "b4 they perceived that USSR personnel wore
inferior clothing, their. Um:as,? their maziners and their actions were far
below the level of what even Bulgaria herself was accustomed to. Personal
habits of theaovietvare repulsive to the nature of the Bulgarian people.
It is now 0 .1.3.41t that the Soviet Union has but oneaim and that is simply
the .exploitatonet Bulgarian resources human, industrial and agricultural.
4. The East Ge sing of 4tne 1953 (i12 the estimation of Bulgarians with
hawed ettreme naivete on the part of the East German
p p
or. ,BulgarianS are perplexed for they feel that the East
Germans shoul4. have bnewn that such action was not likely to succeed.
5. All of the Bulgarian military departments are Under USSR control. For that
matter,i,so-are the three categories of Bulgarian police and the State Bank.
The Bgigarian-Coqiunists and Other civilians realize that the so-called USSR
experts in charge are by and large intelleCtually and practically far less
capable then the Bulgarian administrators whom they displaced. 'However,
there is but one course of action, a unanimous submission to the dictates
and opinions of the Soviet rulers.
At the end of World.? War II'there were approximately 700 thousand Bulgarian
citizens reeiding in Sofia. Within the past .five or six years the Soviet
Union has diSPatched to Sofia over 200 thousand USSR citizens who eventually
received. fol Bulgarian Citizenship. These added peoples have not been
assii11004.4.00,.the Bulgarian way of life, haVe not accepted.the Bulgarian
Social morees'.hUt-have remained. aloof. It is evident that this group, which
lives in. a closely knit community,, has been thrust upon the citizenry of
Bulgaria for the Obvious Purpose of influencing and eventually controlling
the BulgariaL 'say of life. In so doing, they are following the wishes of
the Kremlin and .the USSR. This group, as I understand, has a number of
reasons for establishing residence in Bulgaria:
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a. to serve the Soviet military,
b. to serve the. Soviet police,
c. to serve in espionage,
d. to serve as technical etPerts engineers and teachers.
This group ,receive gher food. ration than the typical Bulgarian
pcpulet4.94,014,4c1n, possession of more substantial talons gation cardg
with which ey pur tuskse f more ANa. In
even the
p on are given choice morsels of foodstuffs and
meat prodU ts. ThiS has abvioutly irritated. the Bulgarian population which
perceivee tbpa.inegnalities. The 'Bulgarian Communist Party itself is
definitely dissatisfied with this preferential treatment, but has no influence
whatsoever on the existing administration. -Their protests are either ignored
or they are subsequently subject to reprisals at the hands of the Soviet
authorities. At least three times between 1948 and 1952 the Bulgarian Com-
munist Party at various Communist meetings, protested to the Soviet author-
ities about the treatment that was accorded .to the Bulgarian population.
In each case thel**imembers were criticized by the ruling Soviet author-
ities. Even in the tape of such treatment, the Bulgarian communist Party,
which is by far the smallestoi all the Satellites, remains the most faithful.
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7. The USSR, realizing that the Communist Party in Bulgaria is faithful, has
armed and equipped the Bulgarian military forces with top Soviet military
equipment -- such Soviet equipment as is issued to Soviet troops. No Soviet
military forces as such are seen in Bulgaria. Soviet military instructors,
however, are not uncommon. In my estimation, Bulgaria has never had such a
disciplined army as it has today. The old-line Bulgarian officers have been
supplanted by younger Communist trained and Communist inspired Bulgarian
officers. As a consequence, the USSR seems to presume that the current
Officer personnel of the Bulgarian Army can be almost fully relied upon to
carry out Soviet military aims. Military service has been extended from the
normal two-year period to a minimum of three years. A student who has com-
pleted the high school, and is 20 years of age, is taken into the military
service. Most of the youth which is taken into the service is married. I
understand that the training is extremely rigid and is of excellent quality.
It is my honest opinion that (since the Soviet militarists know the psycho-
?
logical makeup of the Bulgarian soldier) he would be used only in military
conflicts in the Balkans -- the Bulgarian soldier would not fight elsewhere.
Soviet propaganda in developing military strategy for Bulgaria emphasizes
the old line of history in which the Turks, the Serbians, and the Greeks
were enemies for centuries -- although the Yugoslays call themselves
Communists, they are in reality in the camp of the Western imperialists
who aim to eventually establish control over Bulgaria. To this extent
the Soviets are developing a totally chauvinistic philosophy in Bulgarian
military
Bulgaria.
between So la ana riovaiv has approximately 2d new airfields. This area is
small -- not over 110 miles long and 80 miles wide.
8. In constant attempts to develop a strong border defense, the Communist Party
deports from border areas those peasants whose backgrounds are unknown to
the Communist Party and also those whose political background is undetermined.
The Turkish, the Greek and the Yugoslav borders are adequately staffed by
well trained Bulgarian troops.
9. Bulgarian response to the Balkan Pact assumes the following attitude: They
acknowledge the existence of this Pact but only formally (just a scrap of
paper). However, it has no particular significance and is in reality
meaningless.
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the Moslem philosophy towards the USSR and the
Bulgarian Communist administration is one of acceptance and submission.
For the past five years the Bulgarian Government has specifically concen-
trated on indoctrinating the Moslem youth in Communist principles. The
Macedonian question, perpetually a pre-World War II problem, has been elim-
inated by the Communist Bulgarian Government. Prior to September 1944 there
were two groups of Macedonians in Bulgaria, both terrorist in nature. One
was a rightist wing and the other a leftist wing. The leftist wing has been
incorporated into the Communist Party and favored with prominent positions.
This segment of Macedonians is employed to purge the rightist element. Ivan
Mihailoff, the leader of the rightist group, is now in Italy. The?Macedonska
Tryth?a-lr-nawhich is printed in the US, is actually expressive of the view of the
Mihailoff group. Pero Shandaroff and Leff Lavincheff are top leaders of the
leftist element. They have been rewarded with responsible slots in the
Bulgarian Police Administration. Lavincheff, after World War II, made
several journeys into Western Europe, primarily to Austria. It is rumored
that the nature of his journeys to the West was for the purpose of pinpointing
dissident Macedonian elements in order to have them purged by the Communist
Party of Bulgaria.
11. One of the projects undertaken by the Communist Government in 1945 was the
selection (from all social strata) and elevation of intellectually inferior
Bulgarian personnel to positions of prominence within the new State. In my
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estimation these people would be the least likely to succeed under any other
system of government, for many of them had been failures prior to Communist
occupation. They were permitted to enter high schools and universities
where courses of instruction were designed particularly for people of their
intelligence quotient. This category, aware of its limitations, goes along
with the New Order realizing that it is important only under the Communist
Systeme It is obvious that the Soviets have drawn on this type of personnel
because it can be harnessed and directed to whatever ends the Communists
desire. Today 2T95.117 approximately 50 percent of the students in the high
schools and the universities consist of this element. They must realize
that should the day of reckoning ever come for Bulgaria, they would lose
their positions of prominence and prestige; consequently, they are willing
followers and supporters of the Soviet system.
12. There is no overt resistance in Bulgaria today. As I previously stated,
the population is in a state of passivity based on years of experience in
dealing with revolutionary trends. Purges which have taken place over a
period of time in Bulgaria have in part resulted from the activities of
various penetration agents who enter Bulgaria for the obvious purpose of
developing resistance groups. Persons who affiliate with such movements
are detected and as a result purged. This is having an adverse effect and,
in my estimation, is doing considerable psychological damage to the populace
at large. Penetration agents who enter Bulgaria via Constantinople and
deal with what the present Bulgarian Government considers illegal elements are
bawling' considerable harm. One could even liken it to murder for when
these people are traced, they are picked up, incarcerated, and eventually
liquidated. An excellent example of my latter statement pertains to the
group of Captain (mu) Kristoff who re-entered Bulgaria under the auspices
of a Western power in 1953 to develop resistance movements. In pursuing
such a course in Bulgaria he was accompanied by eight or nine men all, I
believe, of Bulgarian origin. His unit, which passed through many Bulgarian
villages, was detected and apprehended after several months of operation.
Subsequent interrogation by Communist authorities of the country revealed
that Kristoff and his group made contact with residents from approximately
200 villages. As a result, the purges which ensued involved some members
from each of these villages -- I heard that approximately 200 villagers
were taken captive and purged. The consequences of the above were so far
reaching that the people of Bulgaria were deeply shocked and quite concerned.
I understand that their reasoning followed lines something like this: With
US military forces and those of other Western Governments so far away, how
in God's name could anyone expect resistance movements to be successful --
so why gamble unless Western forces are intent upon actually occupying the
countryl Should such an event transpire, these groups would be of definite
use and would willingly support a Western invasion.
13. Discontent and unrest are not expressed through any physical efforts. The
Bulgarian population, however, by word of mouth, through whispering campaigns,
ridicules and belittles the Soviet system -- making fun of it all the while.
One of the present jokes coming out of Bulgaria deals with Chervenkov himself
and a postage stamp which bears his face. In watching the walls, Chervenkov
noticed that letters did not bear his stamp. He consequently inquired at the
Postal Ministry in order to learn why his stamp was not being used. This
Ministry assured him they would look into the matter. Shortly thereafter
Cbervenkov Was informed that his stamp was in use but that the, rorulation
of Bulgaria when mailing a letter, mailed the stamp with Chervenkovte face
down. It was obvious that they delighted in spitting on the face of Cherven-
lamV and then pasting it down.
14. The old members of the Communist Party (those who were Communists prior to
1944) try to point out to the Soviet Union that they would fare much better
if they employed a more relaxed policy when dealing with the populace. Such
Communistilto all intents and purposes, have lost what prestige they maintained.
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They have been informed that they do not understand the principles and policies
of true Stalinism. While they are still carried on the rolls, their prominent
positions within the Party have been bestowed upon young Communists indoctrinated
in. the light of so-called Stalinism.
15. The word "careerism" is prevalent in Bulgaria today. Since the vast majority
of the population lives in fear, their response to Soviet directives is one
of immediate attempts to comply in a manner indicative of willing acceptance.
Such reaction to Communist requirements and dictums is premised upon the de-
sire to impress their leaders with the hope that such actions will lead to a'
more secure and less hazardous future. Those high school students who, in
the eyes of the Communist Party, are not considered good prospects for the
future Communist State are barred from participating in such activities as
choir, theatre, sports, and other school functions. Nany of them never
graduate from high school and others are not permitted to enter the univer-
sities. AS a consequence, the students of today have become far more tactful
and deceitful than they were in pre-Communist Bulgaria.
16. The Bulgarian Communist leader, Chervenkov , has fully consolidated his
position within the Communist Party of Bulgaria and, as I stated, he rules
with an iron hand. Rivalry, of course, exists in the Communist bureaucracy.
of Bulgaria, but it also exists in all phases of Communist activity. Each
tries to outdo the other, seeking a more favorable position in the eyes of
Soviet authorities. Chervetkm: and members of the top team were long-time
residents of the Soviet Union and as a result have personal relations with
Soviet personnel in the Kremlin, Today L19547 there is no purge as such
within the Bulgarian Communist Party. There is a constant fluctuation in
the attitude of Soviet authorities towards high ranking Communist personnel
in the Bulgarian Government. This fluctuation is most usually expressed in
the form of favors bestowed by the Soviet Union on such personnel. Neverthe-
less, Cbervenkov appears to have attained a formidable position and, as
previously stated, continues to pursue the old-line policies of Stalinism
as Bulgaria's ranking Communist.
17. A new law to become effective in October 1954 has been introduced only in Bulgaria
not ifl -any of the other Satellites. According to this law, all
Bulgarians who have relatives and friends abroad will be subject to interro-
gaVon, Confinement or even purge at the hands of the Communist Party. This
is al example of how fanatic the small Bulgarian Communist Party has become.
for even the Soviet Union does not overtly advocate such extreme measures
with its own population who may have friends and relatives abroad.
18. There is a definite tvend towards rule by Committee in Bulgaria. Committees
rule in the high schools among both the faculty and the students. The same
situation prevails among the faculty and the students of the universities.
For that matter, a student preparing for graduation cannot receive his diploma
until a committee has determined whether or not he merits it. Such situations
prevail in factories and other industrial establishments. The newly revised
Bulgarian Constitution has necessitated the introduction of a special course
in Bulgarian high schools. This course, called "Constitution", serves a dual
purpose. It interprets the constitution as the government desires and further
indoctrinates the students in the dialectical approach.
19. During the first five years of their administration the Communists Were
in a hurry to collectivize Bulgarian agriculture. For the past two or three
years 25rior to 3.957 they have been trying to consolidate their gains and
correlate their politics and theories with new goals. For the first few years,
of course, they were primarily concerned with the destruction of opposition
parties. In this endeavor I believe they have overtly succeeded. Under the
new agrarian setup,life for the farmer is exceedingly difficult) for the farmers
are unable to procure the barest necessities such as nails, tools or small
machines. On the other hand, the government orders them to deliver more foods
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than they can produce. This is particularly true in the case of those few
remaining private landowners and farmers who, in order to survive, must agree
to collectivization. Figures published by the Bulgarian Government which
show that there is anincrease in land under cultivation are valid, I would
presume that the figures published concerning Bulgarian agricultural produc-
tion are close to the truth. However, Soviet figures grossly exaggerate
USSR aid to Bulgaria,
20, Persons who do not fulfill their requirements in a particular line of endeavor
in Bulgaria are not discharged, They are transferred to other lines of
endeavor. The New Bulgarian State has introduced a new type of school which
it' calls Zavodsko Uchiliste technical Schools7. These schools are comparable
to the high schools of the US, but their educational philosophy differs.
The mission of these institutions under the New. Plan is to indoctrinate
and. train workers for all industries in Bulgaria. At least one hundred
different courses have been introduced, each varying in impOitance -- some
emphasize technical training and others emphasize training for semi-skilled
labor.
21. In comparison with pre-World War ,Ii "yearsiitheactual stahdard,pf liVing.Intbe country
today Li9547 is very low. Al]. personal needs such as clothing and footwear
are at best mediocre and in many cases tattered and worn. The currency
reform of May 1952 wiped out all private savings which obviously makes every-
one more dependent upon the existing administration. Whenever established
norms in agriculture have not been met, the Soviet experts always cry "drought"
thus excusing,whatever may have prevented the realization of a norm or goal.
They also attempt to explain to the people of Bulgaria that the suffering
which they undergo now will., of course, be offset with plenty in future years.
No amnesty is evidenced as such, but from time to time numbers of individuals
are released from various prisons. This is done without fanfare. The
church 1"es l-een fully subjected to the Communist Party. In 1950 a young
girl, student of Turnovo, EC_ Idea a Bulgarian orthodox church with her
grandme tr. The following da,3 ,.tudent committees ridiculed her for her
weakness. Priests are by and large spiritual devotees, but the Soviets have
found a group of individuals who claim to be priests but nevertheless adhere
to Soviet ideologies. These people have been installed as leaders in the
Association. of Priests. Considerable interest by the Soviets has been
directed Y,_eds the students in the schools. The results appear to be
fruitful in spite of family opposition. It appears that these pupils cannot
accept the fact that all of their teachers are wrong. Since this youth is
in contact with instructors a major portion of the day, the propagandizing
Influence of the instructors appears to be effective. In several cases there
was considerable controversy between the parents and students. The parents
try to point out the fallacies in what is being taught. The students, of
course, support what they have learned at the schools. In the attempt to
prove to a senior high school student that his education is founded on false
premises, one runs into extreme difficulty for the student not only will not
agree, but calls such attempts Bourgeois propaganda.
23. In controlling radio broadcasts from foreign countries: the Soviet authorities
did, not requisition radio sets from the Bulgarian population; however, over a
period of five years, no spare parts were available for deteriorating sets.
Since many of these sets are no longer usable, information from the outside
world is scarce. Receiving sets which can tune in programs from only the
local station have been installed. Thus the Soviets control all broadcasts.
24. There is now 2195,17 an all inclusive ban against the import of printed
material from the West. Prior to 1946 most towns and villages in Bulgaria
had fine library systems. However, with the advent of the Soviet system,
the Communists entered each of the libraries and removed that literature
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deeMed to be expressive of Western ideas and Western influence. Anyone
attempting to procure Western literature at Bulgarian libraries was informed
that such materials were no longer in existence or that they were included
on et list of forbidden books. In the winter of 1953 and 1954 the newspapers
announced that all such books were destroyed.
One of the basic projects undertaken under the new government was the con-
struction of large dams which would provide adequate water for irrigation.
Within recent years, such projects have been by-passed in order to concen-
trate on the development of heavy industries. There is very little.* if any,
improvement in consumer goods within the country. There are, however, small
and Unimportant exceptions. For example, in the winters of 1949 and 1950.
large quantities of skates were produced for Bulgarian children. Day to day
propaganda constantly reminds the populace how bad conditions were prior to
the CoMmdnist administration. However, since the Communist government has
not fulfilled its own commitments, it prognosticates that in the years to
come conditions will be much better than they are now. Of course the
Bulgarian people realize how much better conditions were under their previous
system. A real basis for comparison is the reminder that the goods and
services which came to Bulgaria from Germany and Europe were far superior
to anything which Bulgaria produces today.
26. During World War II at least two million soldiers from Germany crossed the
country Of Bulgaria. Prior to the time that they entered Bulgaria, they
were indoctrinated in Rumania as to the social habits, general life and
attitudes of the Bulgarian population. When they did enter Bulgaria, the
Germans were on their best behavior. Their actions and attitudes were
vastly different from general Soviet behavior. When the Soviets arrived
they wore dirty apparel, their personal habits were crude, uncouth and
unsanitary* This depicted them as nothing more than crude barbarians to
the general populace of the country. Overindulgence in alcohol, promiscuity
and violations of Bulgarian laws have left a bitter taste with the Bulgarian
people.
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