POPULAR REACTION TO COMMUNIST REGIME

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R009900240007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: January 23, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

App roved W W2
CENTRAL
;EAGE -7-REPORTNO.
INFORMATION REPOItT
WRY Bulgaria
ABJECT Popular Reaction to Communist
Regime
CD NO.
25X1A
0
DATE Di. 7 JAI T 52
10 OF PAGES
1. The Bulgarian government is levying such high production quotas that the
peasants in almost all cases are unable to meet them. It is not uncommon
for government agencies to levy-butter and milk quotas on non.-productive
cows, or to levy 50 kilogram pork quotas on farmers who have no pigs,
Most of these levies are in the form of promissory contracts against
future productions signed by the farmer under duress.
2. Government allotments of food and clothing are extremely poor in quality
and are inadequate even for the.bare necessities of the peasants. Communist
Party members are the only.one's who benefit to any degree. In the free
stores excellent cloth is displayed, but the people do not have the money
necessary to purchase such cloth.
The export of all types of produce to the USSR has been felt to an extremely.
high degree by the peasants. Reaction to this export was expressed by a
peasant who stated, "Russia must be an awfully poor country."
4. The production of the TKZS (Trudovo Kooperativno Zemedelsko Stopanstvo;
Cooperative Labor Farm) is at an extremely low level. Members have
shown no desire to work. This lack of interest and production has brought
about a new regulation according to.which farmer members are paid on a
piece work basis rather than a daily wage. The farmers comment that this
is exactly the point criticized by Marx as black exploitation of the
workers by the bo geois&o.
5. The average inhabitant of Bulgaria is undergoing a complete moral decom-
position, which ex ;eadi even into the ranks of the Communist Party. There
are large numbers of individuals who have joined the Party either for
various police organizatio of those passive members of the
small gains in food allows or to avoid further persecution by the
those; to fight for the overthrow of the
CIA-
ILII+NIlflil nnr.....
 Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP82-00457R009900240007-4
25X1A
of the Bulgarian Army and the high caliber and morale of the troops.
7. Large-scale artillery maneuvers and firing practice have led the people
to believe that the Soviet system of massed artillery is being applied
to the Bulgarian Army..
8, Bulgarian troops are undergoing training with all types of Soviet weapons,
They are also receiving a high degree of sec4 ty indoctrination and are
under strict control of officers and non.-commissioned officers.
9. The people--of southeast Bulgaria believe that military action is being
prepared ..gainst Yugoslavia since within their area only defensive measures
az'id defensive training have been instituted. Indications are that the
north batik of the Arda River will be used as the defense line.
10. The locah`population has come to the conclusion that only a war will free
them from. Commgni$m and they hope the conflict will begin immediately.
In southeast Bulgaria a great majority of the peasants are ready to make
the sacrifices that a war demands in order to remove the Communist terror.
They regard any postponement of the conflict by the Western Powers as a
prolongation of their misery, and with each passing day their despondency
grows greater,
11. The failure of the Democratic Bl*c, and the arrest of most of their people
and contacts has plunged southeast Bulgaria into black despair since the
population was ready to receive any such organization which could help
them prepare for revolt. The affect has been to convince the peasantry
that the Western Powers are incapable of planning a good underground re-
sistance movement,thal Come=&** lbbbifaeitgg that Communist police organs
are infallible,
IN-
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP82-00457R009900240007-4