with gifts of bread and salt, a
traditional Bulgarian gift of welcome (see ch. 7). At the same time, on
the political front, the Soviets and their Bulgarian collaborators took
over the key ministries in the capital city and arrested members of the
government.

The Fatherland Front--a coalition composed at that time of Communists,
members of the left wing of the Bulgarian Agrarian Union, members of the
left wing of the Social Democratic Party, and the Zveno group--was led
by Georgiev as the new premier. Dimitrov and Kalarov returned from
Moscow, where they had been in exile since 1925, to assist the new
government in its takeover. The Communists proceeded to rid the
coalition of certain opposing elements within its ranks. Nikolai Petkov
of the Peasant Union and Kosta Lulchev of the Social Democratic Party
were temporarily retired from the coalition. Large-scale purges were
initiated against German collaborators and sympathizers; many thousands
were either executed or imprisoned by the Communists.

When plans for elections were made in 1945, both Great Britain and the
United States made a strong bid for the holding of popular elections.
Their hopes were temporarily defeated when, on November 18, 1945,
communist-controlled elections were held. The Fatherland Front won a
decided victory, eventually resulting in Georgiev's formal installation
as premier. His tenure in office was brief, and he was quickly succeeded
by Dimitrov. At this point Great Britain and the United States
protested, insisting that the Communists broaden their governmental
base. Thus, although the two leading figures of the BKP, Dimitrov and
Kalarov, were installed eventually as premier and president,
respectively, Petkov and Lulchev were allowed to take over control of
the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice, two vital
organs of the government.

By 1946, however, the Communists had whittled down all opposition. In
July 1946 control over the army had been transferred from noncommunist
members of the ostensible coalition government to exclusively communist
control. At this time 2,000 so-called reactionary army officers were
dismissed. A plebiscite held in September abolished the monarchy,
declared Bulgaria a republic, and gave all power to Dimitrov as premier.
He officially took the title on November 4, 1946, and held it until his
death in 1949. When Dimitrov took power, any opposition that remained
was quickly eliminated. Once the Unit