ttempt to express any
specific point of view or to make policy recommendations. The contents
of the handbook represent the work of the authors and FAS and do not
represent the official view of the United States government.

An effort has been made to make the handbook as comprehensive as
possible. It can be expected, however, that the material,
interpretations, and conclusions are subject to modification in the
light of new information and developments. Such corrections, additions,
and suggestions for factual, interpretive, or other change as readers
may have will be welcomed for use in future revisions. Comments may be
addressed to:

The Director
Foreign Area Studies
The American University
5010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016

PREFACE

The former Kingdom of Romania emerged from the post-World War II chaos
as the Romanian People's Republic, a communist satellite so closely
aligned to the policies of the Soviet Union that it often appeared to be
ruled from Moscow. During the 1950s, however, Romania cautiously began
seeking to loosen its ties to Moscow and to assert some measure of
autonomy. The widening Sino-Soviet rift of the early 1960s provided an
atmosphere of tension among communist states that the Romanians used to
their own advantage by remaining neutral in the communist struggle and
by seeking greater contacts with noncommunist states. In internal
affairs, the Romanian regime maintained a rigid hold on all elements of
the society. In 1965 the regime changed the name of the country to the
Socialist Republic of Romania and proclaimed that it was well on the way
toward communism. In the early 1970s Romania remains a member of the
Soviet-led military and economic alliances but has become known as the
most independent member.

The changes wrought by the Communists during a quarter century in power
are numerous and far reaching. Despite the desires of the Soviet leaders
that Romania remain predominantly agricultural, the new Romanian
leadership was determined to industrialize. Enforced socialization and
concurrent industrialization brought a host of problems in the
political, social, and economic life of the country. Reorientation of
the society and the political structure was brought about by force when
necessary, but the restructuring of the economy within the framework of
the avowed Marxist-Leninist ideology proved to be more difficult and led
to problems that had still not been