Thanks to a request from staff in HCA the Library currently has trial access to the digital primary source collection Cold War Eastern Europe, Module 1: 1953-1960, a unique and comprehensive, English-language history of post-Stalinist Eastern Europe. If you’re interested in East European and Soviet history, 20th century international relations, Cold War history or the history and culture of individual states within Eastern Europe then this database could be for you.
You can access this online resource via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available both on and off-campus.
Trial access ends 25th May 2018.
Cold War Eastern Europe provides full-text searchable access to over six thousand primary source files from the political departments of the UK Foreign Office, source entirely from The National Archives series FO 371. Files cover every aspect of political, economic, cultural, social and dissident life behind the ‘Iron Curtain’.
Key events covered include the Balkan Pact (1953), the death of Stalin, East German uprising (1953), foundation of the Warsaw Pact, Geneva Summit (1955), 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’. As well as the Poznan Revolt, Hungarian Revolution, Polish October, Berlin crisis and the Sino-Soviet split. Countries covered include Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Berlin, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
Screenshot of letter regarding Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’ at 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. From Northern (N): Soviet Union (NS). Internal Political Situation (1956), FO 371/122770.
Access Cold War Eastern Europe, Module 1: 1953-1960 via e-resources trials.
Access available until 25th May 2018.
Feedback welcome.
Note: The My Archive and the Document and Citation Download functions are not available on this trial edition of Cold War Eastern Europe, Module I: 1953-1960. Documents can be viewed using the image viewer function.
You can access all the digital primary source collections already available at the Library via the Primary Source databases list.
Access is only available to current students and staff at University of Edinburgh.
Caroline Stirling – Academic Support Librarian for History, Classics and Archaeology