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History of the Romanian Communist Party. By Robert R. King. Histories of Ruling Communist Parties Series. Richard F. Staar, general editor. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 1980. xvi, 190 pp. Figures. Map. Tables. $8.95, paper.

Contemporary analyses of communist politics ought not to be undertaken without an understanding of party history. It is, for example, critical to one's analysis of Cuban, Yugoslav, or Chinese politics that genuine revolutionary activity preceded communist rule. Likewise, the similarities and differences among East European communist systems in the 1980s must be seen in light of their "roads to power" and their struggles for internal coherence over three and a half decades. Richard F. Staar's effort to edit a series of party histories for the Hoover Institution Press is, therefore, an important step in assuring that basic documentation is available on party backgrounds. Robert R. King's contribution to the series is a brief, but admirable synopsis of Romanian Communist Party (RCP) history from its clandestine period through late 1979. The RCP is worthy of considerable attention, even for nonspecialists. Romania has well-known characteristics, such as relative energy independence and a very heterogeneous population, which distinguish it from other Soviet allies in Eastern Europe. The RCP's policies, stressing "multilateral" development of the country's economy while pursuing foreign relations often at variance with Soviet norms, also carry importance for both the United States and the USSR. Because the RCP governs a nation-state with such distinguishing features as domestic and foreign policies not in line with other Warsaw Pact/ Comecon members, King's book is particularly noteworthy. It is possible that King's book may not be entirely satisfactory to all readers. Historians of interwar Romania, for example, may question his statements on the politics of that period, while political scientists may find the references to Samuel Huntington's views on institutionalization or to Kenneth Jowitt's views on inclusion and mobilization to be somewhat superficial. But these objections are minor since King's goal is to describe in adequate detail the RCP's institutional and organizational development. Readers new to the origins of Romanian communism will have a much better grasp of why the RCP had little promise to govern in 1944 and how, with Soviet military backing, the party nevertheless gained control. King does a thorough job in describing the intraparty struggles until 1955, during which time the RCP's internal coherence was enhanced. King's observations about regularized cadre transfers (rota(ie) as an institutional device to overcome opposition are well taken, and his succinct summary of changes in elite composition will be useful to those unfamiliar with Romanian politics. King's previous work on national minorities in communist systems has led to a valuable account (chapter 6) identifying a dilemma facing RCP leaders because of their stress on Romanian heritage. Some cautions are appropriate when utilizing this volume for reference purposes. Chapters on "Party and Society" and "International Policy of the Party" do not utilize a sizable proportion of the literature that was available by December 1979. Articles, monographs, and dissertations by anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists that might have been used to advantage by King in discussing the party's relationship with Romanian society are not cited (for example, works by Cole, Chirot, Nelson, Fischer, and Gilberg before 1980). Likewise, work by Bacon, Linden, Laux, and others on Romanian military and foreign policies would have been useful. Robert King's History of the Romanian Communist Party is, however, a volume that deserves use in courses on communist politics and postwar East European history. It is, moreover, a competent summary of a communist party's metamorphosis, which can provide background information for scholars in the field.