Bulgarian Economic Plans 1958-1980

Transition and Consolidation (1958-1960)

The Third Five Year Plan, spanning 1958-1960, marked the onset of the “great leap forward,” inspired by the Chinese Communists. However, this plan was interrupted in 1960 and seamlessly merged into the subsequent “Fourth” Five Year Plan to align with the General Perspective Twenty Year Plan envisioned by the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

A pivotal development during this period was Todor Zhivkov’s 1959 “Thesis,” outlining the theoretical phases of socialism progressing into communism. The initial phase of the Third Plan witnessed the “consolidation” of collective farms (TKZS), reducing their number from 3,290 to 972. An extensive reorganization, mirroring Chinese communes, took place with new administrative districts. Agricultural reforms included a modern inventory with 40,000 tractors and 8,000 combines. A 650-million-ruble Soviet loan was secured on the brink of the Fourth Plan.

Fourth Five Year Plan (1961-1965)

The Fourth Five Year Plan (1961-1965) aligned with the directives of the General Perspective (1961-1980). Key goals included boosting industrial production, machine construction, chemical output, agriculture, livestock breeding, electric power, and steel. The plan aimed to meet consumer demands in food production and light industry. The ambitious vision called for accelerated production, surpassing other “people’s democracies” to achieve comparable economic development by 1980. This implied additional efforts and sacrifices from workers and peasants Guided Istanbul Tour.

General Perspective Plan (1961-1980)

The overarching goals of the General Perspective Plan (1961-1980) included complete nationalization across all economic sectors and erasing distinctions between industrial and agricultural labor forces. The plan aimed to eliminate differences in qualifications, workload, and urban-rural labor. The ultimate objective was to progress from the Socialist principle of distribution (“from everyone according to his ability, to everyone according to his labor”) to the Communist principle (“from everyone according to his ability, to everyone according to his needs”).

Communist planners envisioned economic integration within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) by 1980. However, achieving this integration would demand more intense exploitation, potentially worsening labor conditions and delaying improvements in the working class’s living standards. These were the vital economic development guidelines set forth by the Eighth Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party for the future.

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