Editing Eastern Bloc (section)

===Marshall Plan rejection===
{{further|Marshall Plan}}
[[File:Europe-blocs-49-89x4.svg|thumb|left|250px|Political situation in Europe during the [[Cold War]]]]
In June 1947, after the Soviets had refused to negotiate a potential lightening of restrictions on German development, the United States announced the [[Marshall Plan]], a comprehensive program of American assistance to all European countries wanting to participate, including the Soviet Union and those of Eastern Europe.<ref name="miller16">{{Harvnb|Miller|2000|p=16}}</ref> The Soviets rejected the Plan and took a hard-line position against the United States and non-communist European nations.<ref name="wettig139">{{Harvnb|Wettig|2008|p=139}}</ref> However, Czechoslovakia was eager to accept the US aid; the Polish government had a similar attitude, and this was of great concern to the Soviets.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wettig|2008|p=138}}</ref>

{{Three worlds}}
In one of the clearest signs of Soviet control over the region up to that point, the Czechoslovakian foreign minister, [[Jan Masaryk]], was summoned to Moscow and berated by Stalin for considering joining the Marshall Plan. Polish Prime minister [[Józef Cyrankiewicz]] was rewarded for the Polish rejection of the Plan with a huge 5-year trade agreement, including $450&nbsp;million in credit, 200,000 tons of grain, heavy machinery and factories.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,855998,00.html |title=Carnations |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=9 February 1948 |access-date=1 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114182613/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,855998,00.html |archive-date=14 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In July 1947, Stalin ordered these countries to pull out of the Paris Conference on the European Recovery Programme, which has been described as "the moment of truth" in the post-[[World War II]] division of Europe.<ref name="bideleaux"/> Thereafter, Stalin sought stronger control over other Eastern Bloc countries, abandoning the prior appearance of democratic institutions.<ref name="wettig148">{{Harvnb|Wettig|2008|p=148}}</ref> When it appeared that, in spite of heavy pressure, non-communist parties might receive in excess of 40% of the vote in the [[1947 Hungarian parliamentary election|August 1947 Hungarian elections]], repressions were instituted to liquidate any independent political forces.<ref name="wettig148"/>

In that same month, annihilation of the opposition in Bulgaria began on the basis of continuing instructions by Soviet cadres.<ref name="wettig148"/><ref name="wettig149">{{Harvnb|Wettig|2008|p=149}}</ref> At a late September 1947 meeting of all communist parties in [[Szklarska Poręba]],<ref name="wettig140">{{Harvnb|Wettig|2008|p=140}}</ref> Eastern Bloc communist parties were blamed for permitting even minor influence by non-communists in their respective countries during the run up to the Marshall Plan.<ref name="wettig148"/>