How did the Soviet Union maintain control of East Germany after World War II?
The Soviet Union built the notorious Berlin wall in 1948 primarily to stop the residents of East Germany from fleeing to the Western part of Germany, which had, by then, merged the three territories held by France, Britain and the United States.Oct 30, 2018
How did other Communist countries react to the collapse of the Soviet bloc?
How did communist countries react differently to the collapse of the Soviet bloc? Most changes happened peacefully. The Baltic States regained independence. Remaining Soviet republics had all formed independent nations.
What term was used to describe the Communist countries of Eastern Europe?
Eastern Bloc: The largely Communist countries of the eastern world, especially Eastern Europe, especially in the Cold War era. satellite states: A country that is formally independent, but under heavy political and economic influence of or control by another country.
Why did the Soviet Union want to control these nations?
After World War Two a Cold War developed between the capitalist Western countries and the Communist countries of the Eastern Bloc. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted a buffer zone of friendly Communist countries to protect the USSR from further attack in the future.
Why did the Soviet Union collapse simple?
The Soviet Union's failing post-World War II economy and weakened military, along with public dissatisfaction with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's loosened economic and political policies of perestroika and glasnost, contributed to its ultimate collapse.Dec 3, 2020
How did Soviet Union fall?
When oil plunged from $120 a barrel in 1980 to $24 a barrel in March 1986, this vital lifeline to external capital dried up. The price of oil temporarily spiked in the wake of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, but by that point the collapse of the Soviet Union was well under way.
Why Soviet bloc was known as Communist bloc?
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc, the Socialist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Southeast Asia under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed during the Cold War (1945–1992).
How did the Soviet Union take control of Eastern Europe?
In 1944 and 1945 the Red Army drove across Eastern Europe in its fight against the Nazis. After the war, Stalin was determined that the USSR would control Eastern Europe. That way, Germany or any other state would not be able to use countries like Hungary or Poland as a staging post to invade. His policy was simple.
What do you mean by Soviet bloc?
The communist nations closely allied with the Soviet Union, including Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, whose foreign policies depended on those of the former Soviet Union.
How did the Soviets create the Eastern Bloc?
During the opening stages of World War II, the Soviet Union created the Eastern Bloc (the group of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War) by invading and then annexing several countries as Soviet Socialist Republics by agreement with Nazi Germany in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
How did the Soviet Union maintain control over satellite nations?
In 1955, the Soviet Union and its satellites signed the Warsaw Pact. Like NATO, the Pact pledged each nation to defend the others in the alliance. However, the Soviet Union also used the pact to keep control over its satellites.Nov 22, 2021
Why did the Soviet Union want to control these nations quizlet?
The Soviet Union wanted to control the nations on its Western border so it could have protection. The Soviet Union didn't have any natural protection and that's partially the reason it had been invaded twice before.
What countries were part of the Eastern Bloc?
The member countries of the Eastern Bloc were spread across eastern and central Europe and comprised of The Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. While most of the countries entered the Eastern Bloc rather smoothly, Yugoslavia and East Germany posed a challenge. Yugoslavia, while being a communist country, did not immediately join the Eastern Bloc and was open to relations with NATO. The country’s leader Mr. Josip Broz Tito had disagreed with the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin on several critical issues and in 1948 a split between the two ensued. After the war, Germany was subdivided by the Allied forces with the west part of the country being under British, American and French control while the eastern part was under Soviet rule. Due to differences in ideologies, the western powers named their part of the country the “Federal Republic of Germany” while the east was named by the Soviets as “the German Democratic Republic” (East Germany). East Germany was later incorporated into the Eastern Bloc.
What was the Eastern Bloc?
Eastern Bloc. The Eastern Bloc was formed during the Second World War as a unified force led by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Its initial intention was to fight Nazi Germany. However, after the war, the Union lacked a common goal. With Stalin afraid of the neighboring countries converting to capitalism, he mobilized, funded, ...
What countries were part of the Warsaw Pact?
It is used to refer to former communist states in Eastern and Central Europe which included of the Soviet Union, countries in the Warsaw Pact, and Albania and Yugoslavia. The reason behind the formation of the pact is usually pointed to the aftermath of the Second World War which exposed the expansive and porous Russian border.
How was the Eastern Bloc restricted?
Movement across borders in the Eastern Bloc was severely restricted. Political ambitions were harshly suppressed by the communist governments through special secret police organizations which conducted executions of dissidents. The media in all the countries was heavily controlled by the communist governments and was used to spread state-sponsored propaganda to the public. All broadcasts emanating from western media was banned.
What happened in the 1980s?
In the late 1980s, the Russian regime saw that their alienation from the rest of the world had been retrogressive to their economy and began to open the Eastern Bloc to foreign aid and investment. However, the majority of western powers pegged their assistance to ending of the Eastern Bloc and the independence of all states.
What happened to the Soviet Union in 1991?
In October 1990 the Berlin wall was shut down and east and West Germany were unified, finally in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed into independent countries.
What was Stalin afraid of?
With Stalin afraid of the neighboring countries converting to capitalism, he mobilized, funded, and mentored socialist movements in the countries which subsequently grabbed power to become socialist states with allegiance to Moscow. These European countries along with Russia formed the Warsaw Pact. These countries then became known as ...
What was the Eastern Bloc?
Eastern Bloc politics followed the Red Army 's occupation of much of Central and Eastern Europe at the end of World War II and the Soviet Union 's installation of Soviet-controlled Marxist–Leninist governments in the region that would be later called the Eastern Bloc through a process of bloc politics and repression.
What were the Eastern Bloc branches of organizations with western contacts?
Eastern Bloc branches of organizations with western contacts, such as the boy scouts, the girl guides and the international federation of professional and business women, were closed. Churches were subjected to attack, including the Uniate church in the Ukraine and Romania, Protestants in Bulgaria and the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. People that constituted former "class enemies" because of their social upbringing were at risk, as well as those with prior memberships in non-communist parties.
Why did the Eastern Bloc view marginal groups of opposition intellectuals as a potential threat?
Communist regimes in the Eastern Bloc viewed even marginal groups of opposition intellectuals as a potential threat because of the bases underlying Communist power therein. The central pillar on which the monopoly power of the Communist elite was based was the belief of the administrative classes—mid-level leadership cadres in the party apparatus, industry, security organs, education and state administration—in the legitimacy of the Communist Party. The perceived danger posed by dissidence and opposition was less that of the possible mobilization of broad open protest movements undermining a regime than that political nonconformism would undermine the reliability of the administrative classes responsible for carrying the party leadership's directives.
How did Stalin's socioeconomic transformation affect the Soviet economy?
Stalin felt that socioeconomic transformation was indispensable to establish Soviet control, reflecting the Marxist-Leninist view that material bases—the distribution of the means of production—shaped social and political relations. This " sovietization " involved the gradual assimilation of local political, socioeconomic, and cultural patterns into the Soviet model while severing ties with “bourgeois” Western values and traditions. Moscow trained cadres were placed into crucial power positions to fulfill orders regarding sociopolitical transformation. Elimination of the bourgeoisie 's social and financial power by expropriation of landed and industrial property was accorded absolute priority. These measures were publicly billed as reforms rather than socioeconomic transformations. Throughout the whole of eastern Europe, except for Czechoslovakia, organizations such as trade unions and associations representing various social, professional and other groups, were erected with only one organization for each category, with competition excluded. Those organizations were managed by communist cadres, though some diversity was permitted initially. Soviet and local concerns formed "joint stock companies" permitting Soviet officials to exercise direct control over important sections of the economy.
When did the Soviet Union form?
In 1922, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the Transcaucasian SFSR, approved the Treaty of Creation of the USSR and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, forming the Soviet Union. At the end of World War II by mid-1945, all eastern and central European capitals were ...
Who edited the PKWN manifesto?
A propaganda photo of a citizen reading the PKWN Manifesto, edited by Joseph Stalin, posted after the 1944 Soviet occupation of Poland in World War II before it was transformed into the People's Republic of Poland. Eastern Bloc politics followed the Red Army 's occupation of much of Central and Eastern Europe at the end ...
How often did the Eastern Bloc hold congresses?
Non-Soviet Eastern Bloc Communist Parties held congresses every five years, not long after the Soviet Communist Party had held its congress, to elect central committees and endorse new party programs, though "emergency" congresses could be called by central committees. Attendance at party congresses was frequently given as a reward for long service. Parties also sometimes held national conferences to address specific issues.
What countries were involved in the Cold War?
The Cold War was a political standoff between the Western allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, and the countries of the Warsaw Pact, often referred to as the "Eastern Bloc.". The latter was dominated by the Soviet Union and included Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and East Germany.
When did the Soviet Union end?
The Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, following the collapse of its Communist government. Earlier the same year, the three Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia had seceded from the union. With the formal end of the Soviet empire, the other constituent republics also became independent states.
What countries are part of the European Union?
The European Union, or E.U., began as an alliance of Western European countries, but it has since expanded to embrace many former members of the Eastern Bloc. Czechoslovakia split into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in 1993; both these countries joined the E.U. in 2004. Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia ...
Why did NATO exist?
When NATO was set up at the start of the Cold War, one of the main reasons for its existence was to act as a military foil to the Eastern Bloc nations. It is ironic, therefore, that most of those countries are now members of NATO.
Which countries have adopted the Euro?
Three of the former Eastern bloc countries -- Slovakia, Estonia and Latvia -- have adopted the standard European currency of the Euro.
Was East Germany part of the Cold War?
During the Cold War period, West Germany and East Germany were two completely separate countries. They were reunited into a single Germany in October 1990. East Germany ceased to exist; it was absorbed into the Federal Republic of Germany, which was the official name for West Germany. The capital of the Federal Republic was moved from Bonn to Berlin, which was the capital of Germany before the Cold War. Geographically, Berlin was located in East Germany, although the city was split into Western and Eastern sectors by the infamous Berlin Wall. The destruction of the wall in 1989 is widely seen as marking the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
What countries were part of the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union (full name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR) was a socialist state that was created by Vladimir Lenin in 1922. During its existence, the USSR was the largest country in the world. The USSR collapsed in 1991 and left in its place 15 independent states that we know today: 1 Armenia 2 Moldova 3 Estonia 4 Latvia 5 Lithuania 6 Georgia 7 Azerbaijan 8 Tajikistan 9 Kyrgyzstan 10 Belarus 11 Uzbekistan 12 Turkmenistan 13 Ukraine 14 Kazakhstan 15 Russia
What was the name of the Soviet republic?
Armenia. With 11,500 square miles, the Republic of Armenia was commonly known as Soviet Armenia during the time of the USSR. The country was among the Soviet Union's constituent republics in December 1922. Soviet Armenia was created in 1920 during a time when the Soviets seized control of the First Republic of Armenia.
How big is Georgia?
Formerly known as Soviet Georgia or Georgian SSR, the region covers an area of 27,000 square miles. Soviet Georgia was one of the Soviet Union's constituent republics admitted to the USSR on December 30, 1922.
When was Moldova created?
Soviet Moldova was created on August 2, 1940 from a region that was annexed from Romania known as Bessarabia and parts of an autonomous state within the Ukrainian SSR.
Who is the leader of Kazakhstan?
Following the independence of Kazakhstan, the country has been headed by Nursultan Nazarbayev.
What is Estonia known for?
Estonia is one of the three Baltic States in northeastern Europe. Formerly known as the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic or ESSR, the region was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. Initially, the ESSR was formed on the Republic of Estonia's territory on July 21,1940 as a result of the Soviet troop’s invasion on June 17, 1940. The country was also established following the authorization of a puppet government endorsed by the Soviet Union. On August 9, 1940, ESSR was eventually incorporated into the Soviet Union. Nazi Germany occupied the territory between 1941 and 1944. On May 8, 1990, ESSR was renamed the Republic of Estonia and its independence was recognized by the USSR on September 6, 1991. In August 1994, Russian troops withdrew from the country while its military presence ended in September 1995 after Estonia seized control of its nuclear reactor facilities located in Paldiski.
When did Latvia become a country?
Following the demise of the Soviet Union, the country restored its official name as the Republic of Latvia attaining its full independence on August 21, 1991.
Eastern Bloc
Member Countries
- The member countries of the Eastern Bloc were spread across eastern and central Europe and comprised of The Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.While most of the countries entered the Eastern Bloc rather smoothly, Yugoslavia and East Germany posed a challenge. Yugoslavia, while being a communi…
Civil Restrictions
- Movement across borders in the Eastern Bloc was severely restricted. Political ambitions were harshly suppressed by the communist governments through special secret police organizations which conducted executions of dissidents. The media in all the countries was heavily controlled by the communist governments and was used to spread state-sponsored propaganda to the pu…
Collapse of The Eastern Bloc
- Countries in the Eastern Bloc had experienced famine and poverty at unprecedented levels caused by rampant corruption and total failure in service delivery from authorities as well as massive investments to finance the Cold War. In the late 1980s, the Russian regime saw that their alienation from the rest of the world had been retrogressive to their economy and began to ope…