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GCSE History · key term
An organisation established in 1947 to coordinate European communist parties and strengthen their alignment with Soviet policies.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Paper 1
An organisation established in September 1947 through which Stalin coordinated communist parties and strengthened Soviet political control.
Revise: The Iron CurtainStalin established Cominform on 22 September 1947, in response to the Marshall Plan. Its role was political: it helped him direct communist parties in the satellite states and elsewhere in Europe.
Paper 2
The Communist Information Bureau, established in 1947 to coordinate communist parties and keep them aligned with Soviet policy.
Revise: Development of the Cold WarCominform, established in 1947, coordinated communist parties and encouraged them to follow Soviet policies. It helped Stalin enforce ideological conformity and resist Western influence, including acceptance of Marshall Aid. Its significance was political: communist parties were expected to remain loyal to the Soviet line rather than pursue independent approaches.
Paper 1
Revise: Soviet Expansion in Eastern Europe and US ContainmentIn 1947, the USSR established Cominform to coordinate communist parties and strengthen their alignment with Soviet policies. Yugoslavia’s expulsion in 1948 illustrated the pressure to follow Stalin’s leadership. American containment and Soviet efforts to tighten control reinforced each other: both sides presented their actions as protective while seeing the other’s actions as threatening.
Distinguish Cominform’s political role from Comecon’s economic role. The ‘econ’ in Comecon is a useful reminder.
Do not confuse Cominform, which coordinated communist parties, with Comecon, which coordinated Soviet-bloc economies.
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