The second volume examines the history of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in the context of internal social and political developments, in conjunction with the evolution of the international balance of power and the interaction between the strategy of the KKE and that of the international communist movement.

For this reason, two thematic parts precede, each covering the entire time period included in the second volume. The Introduction to the Essay refers to the theoretical, ideological, and methodological basis on which the writing of the second volume of the History Essay was based.

The First Part, as its title indicates, focuses on developments related to the international balance of power and the strategy of the international communist movement, of which the KKE is a part. From this perspective, it does not constitute a complete historical record, analysis, and assessment of all international developments.

The Second Part focuses on the economic developments, which it separates from the broader political developments only for methodological reasons, given that the milestones in the history of the Party do not coincide with the milestones of the evolution of the economic base of Greek capitalism. It pays particular attention to the Marshall Plan and the agreement linking Greece with the EEC, as well as the intra-bourgeois disagreements they caused. The conclusions from the study of economic developments are of great importance for the interpretation of political developments, the assessment of political forecasts, and the goals of the Party.

The Third Part, titled 'The Action of the KKE from October 1949 to the 12th Plenary Session of the Central Committee (1968)', is the main body of this historical study. Its subject is the action of the Party at all levels: the formation of its line, its ideological-political action and its impact on the movement, as well as its organizational policy.

[Excerpt from the Foreword text]