Romania. In the elections, the Communists ran in a single coalition, with various left-wing parties they had convinced to join them in the “Blocul partidelor democrate” (Democratic Parties Bloc). When the vote was counted, it officially received 70% of the vote, while the Peasant Party received only 12.7%. Independent sources and research conducted after the Cold War in the Communist Party’s own archives reveal that the result was precisely the opposite, with the Peasant Party winning an absolute majority. The West’s reaction was outraged but completely ineffective. No one lifted a finger. The Communist Party therefore implemented a further crackdown, arresting opposition members and deporting them directly to Siberia.
