One of the essential elements of American Cold War policy was the involvement of thousands of Central and Eastern European refugees staying in the so-called free world to fight communism, which resulted in the creation of numerous émigré organizations and initiatives under the patronage of the United States. The first period of this policy, from the establishment of the Free Europe Committee (FEC) in 1949 to 1954, was superbly described by Anna Mazurkiewicz in her book Political Exiles from Central and Eastern Europe in American Cold War Policy, 1948–1954 (Uchodźcy Polityczni z Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej w Amerykańskiej Polityce Zimnowojennej, 1948–1954). Now we have a book that complements and continues this research.
When Josif Wissarinowicz Stalin died in March 1953, it meant changes both in Soviet policy and in the policy of Western countries, especially the US. For the next few years, the émigrés saw it as excellent news that brought...
