ABSTRACT
There are several reasons why one may properly ask if it is advisable to present the East European communist regimes as one uniform political system. After all, there are a number of fundamental differences among the East European states. Albania has its unadulterated anti-Soviet, anti-Chinese, anti-imperialist, and anti-nearly-everyone line. Yugoslavia is not a member of the Warsaw Pact and its foreign policy frequently deviates from the uniform Soviet model, not to mention its position as a founder member of the nonaligned movement. In addition, its internal characteristics (federalism, periodic and institutionalized change of party and state leadership after Tito’s death, and so forth), set it further apart from the other East European states. Romania’s foreign policy also differs on occasions from the Soviet model (it is the only East European state to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and the only Warsaw Pact member not to permit Soviet troops to be stationed on its territory). Finally, Poland of 1980–1981 was one great exception to the rule in almost every area, although as far as one may judge, after the announcement of martial law on 13 December 1981, in many respects things have returned to “normal,” at least on the surface.
