Skip to content
— CH. 1 · THE CONFERENCE IN POLAND —

Cominform

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • In September 1947, delegates gathered in Szklarska Poręba, a small town in the Sudetes mountains of Poland. Joseph Stalin called this meeting to address divergences among communist governments regarding the Marshall Plan. Nine parties attended, including representatives from the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, France, and Italy. Andrei Zhdanov chaired the proceedings while Władysław Gomułka served as vice-chairman. The group established an Information Bureau with the goal of coordinating actions between European communist parties under Soviet direction. They decided to publish a journal every two weeks, later increasing frequency to weekly issues. The headquarters was set in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where the first issue would be printed. Western delegates faced immediate criticism for failing to seize power after World War II. Stalin pushed for expanded functions starting in 1950, though this effort ceased after his death.

  • For a Lasting Peace, for a People's Democracy! became the primary tool for disseminating Soviet ideology across Europe. Pavel Yudin led the permanent editorial board when the newspaper launched on the 1st of November 1947. Mark Mitin took over leadership after the Yugoslav expulsion moved operations to Bucharest. The publication appeared in Russian, French, and English to reach diverse audiences. Articles included content not published by member parties, such as contributions from the Canadian Communist Party. The organization used these pages to organize the propagation of communist interests and repel anti-communist expansion. Critics noted that the paper divided the world into imperialist and anti-imperialist factions according to the Zhdanov Doctrine. This approach aimed to unite communist parties against policies threatening to empower Western Europe. The journal served as a propaganda instrument controlled by the International Communist movement to instruct national party leaders.

  • Yugoslavia was expelled from Cominform in June 1948 following the Tito-Stalin split. Official accusations cited Titoism and anti-Sovietism based on deviations from Marxism-Leninism. One decisive factor involved Yugoslavia supporting communist insurgents in the Greek Civil War, violating the Percentages agreement between the Soviet Union and United Kingdom. Another issue stemmed from their decision to station troops in Albania. Cominform publications falsely accused Yugoslavia of supporting anti-communist insurgents instead. The expulsion initiated the Informbiro period in Yugoslavian history. Headquarters relocated from Belgrade to Bucharest, Romania after the departure. A wave of retaliation targeted perceived supporters of Tito across Eastern Bloc nations. Koči Xoxe was hanged in Albania on the 10th of June 1948. László Rajk was arrested in Hungary on the 15th of June 1948. Władysław Gomułka faced multiple arrests and releases before being re-incarcerated. These attacks originated directly from the conflict between Tito and Russian leadership.

  • French and Italian communist parties received specific directives regarding strikes and sabotage against the Marshall Plan implementation. An attack launched in France on the 18th of November 1947 turned quite violent alongside similar actions in Italy on November 12. Both campaigns ended by year's end because workers failed to carry out communist instructions. The two communist parties were not willing to continue the fight despite initial violence. Strikes continued sporadically without public support throughout the following months. Delegates at the founding meeting criticized Western parties for missing opportunities to seize power. They argued that Eastern Europeans proved political superiority by quickly ensuring government dominance. The resolution assigned these Western parties tasks to claim leadership again and prepare for fierce fights. Measures included taking necessary steps to ensure American Policy would not be implemented in Western Europe whatever those measures were. Their ineffective policy had to change into a policy of strikes, mass-action and sabotage.

  • Cominform became rapidly irrelevant after the victory of the People's Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War weakened Europe as the center of communism. No attempts were made to reorganize Cominform before its decline accelerated drastically after Stalin died in March 1953. The Soviets gradually replaced Cominform with more effective organizations like Comecon formed in 1949 and the Warsaw Pact in 1955. The organization composed entirely of European parties was rendered largely useless in Soviet influence over international movements. Plans existed for the Communist Party of China to lead an Asian Cominform but this idea faded with Stalin's death. The group operated as a propaganda tool controlled by the International Communist movement to instruct national party leaders. Its members guaranteed the safeguarding of the monolith communist movement while remaining small in size to preserve maneuverability.

  • The official dissolution occurred on the 17th of April 1956 through a decision by the Central Committee of the CPSU. Nikita Khrushchev rose as Stalin's successor and initiated de-Stalinization policies that drove this termination. Improved relations with Yugoslavia prompted the Soviet Union to end the organization completely. Four recorded meetings took place before 1956, with the last held in Hungary on the 27th of November 1949. Suslov presented reports on defending peace while Togliatti discussed working class tasks. Gheorghiu-Dej concluded that strengthening the fight against Tito required making economic and diplomatic pressure more noticeable. The Romanian delegate urged opposition within Yugoslavia to start secret activity. This final meeting marked the end of active operations before the formal closure two years later. The organization ceased functioning as part of broader geopolitical shifts following Stalin's death.

Up Next

Tito–Stalin split

Continue Browsing

Eastern BlocAftermath of World War IIForeign relations of the Soviet Union

Common questions

When and where was the Cominform founded?

The Cominform was established in September 1947 during a meeting held in Szklarska Poręba, Poland. Nine communist parties attended this gathering to coordinate actions under Soviet direction.

Who led the Cominform Information Bureau after its creation?

Andrei Zhdanov chaired the proceedings while Władysław Gomułka served as vice-chairman of the organization. Pavel Yudin later led the permanent editorial board when the newspaper launched on the 1st of November 1947.

Why was Yugoslavia expelled from the Cominform in June 1948?

Yugoslavia was expelled following the Tito-Stalin split due to accusations of Titoism and anti-Sovietism. The group cited violations of the Percentages agreement regarding support for insurgents in the Greek Civil War and the decision to station troops in Albania.

What specific directives did the Cominform issue to French and Italian communist parties?

French and Italian communist parties received orders to implement strikes, sabotage, and mass-action campaigns against the Marshall Plan. These attacks began in November 1947 but ended by year's end because workers failed to carry out instructions.

When did the Cominform officially dissolve and what caused its termination?

The official dissolution occurred on the 17th of April 1956 through a decision by the Central Committee of the CPSU. Nikita Khrushchev initiated de-Stalinization policies that drove this termination while improving relations with Yugoslavia.

See all questions about Cominform →

All sources

19 references cited across the entry

  1. 1webАдибеков Г.М. * Почему Тольятти не стал генеральным секретарем Коминформа * Статья РАБКРИН2021-01-28
  2. 2journalThe cominform effects on Soviet foreign policyHeinz Timmerman — Spring 1985
  3. 3journalThe Stalinist Image of Canada The Cominform and Soviet Press, 1947–1955J. L. Black — Spring 1988
  4. 4bookThe World Transformed: 1945 to the PresentMichael Hunt — Oxford University Press — 2013
  5. 5journalNo Lasting Peace? Labor, Communism and the Cominform: Australia and Great Britain, 1945–50Deery and Redfern — May 2005
  6. 6journalCominform3 February 2017
  7. 7journalThe Greek Civil War (1944–1949) and the International Communist SystemNikos Marantzidis — 2013
  8. 8bookUncertain Partners: Stalin, Mao, and the Korean WarSergei Goncharov et al. — Stanford University Press — 1993
  9. 9newsArms aid, Cominform, Manchuria, Soviet, China Sign Secret Pact1950-01-30
  10. 10newsChinese Red Urges Asian 'COMINFORM'; Mao, at a Communist Session, Proposes Far East Liaison to Speed 'Liberation'Tillman Durdinspecial To the New York Times — 1948-01-02
  11. 11journalTito and the SovietsPhyllis Tilson Piotrow — CQ Researcher — 1958
  12. 12journalThe Cominform: Tito's International?Geoffrey Swain — 1 March 2010
  13. 13bookTito clique in service of the instigator of a new warI Medvedev — People's Publishing House — 1950
  14. 14journalTito Clique's Stab in the Back to People's Democratic GreeceNikos Zahariadis — August 1, 1949
  15. 15journalThe Cominfom: A Five-Year PerspectiveBernard S. Morris — April 1953
  16. 16journalThe Evolution of the Cominform 1947–1950G.I. — May 1950
  17. 17journalThe Evolution of the Cominform 1947–1950G. I. — May 1950
  18. 18journalThe Cominform: Tito's International?Geoffrey Swain — September 1992
  19. 19journalThe Cominform and World CommunismDenis Healey — 1 July 1948