Eastern-Bloc
The Eastern-Bloc was a term used during the Cold War to describe the group of socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe that were influenced by the Soviet Union. Here are some key points about the Eastern-Bloc:
- Formation: The Eastern-Bloc began to form after World War II when the Soviet Union established control over the countries it had liberated from Nazi Germany. This control was solidified through the installation of communist governments, often referred to as "People's Democracies."
- Countries Involved: The Eastern-Bloc primarily consisted of:
- Political Structure: Each country in the Eastern-Bloc had its own communist party, which was heavily influenced by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The political system was characterized by:
- A single-party rule
- Suppression of opposition
- Centralized economic planning
- Economic System: The economies of these countries were based on the socialist model, featuring:
- Key Events:
- Warsaw Pact - A military alliance formed in 1955 in response to NATO, including most Eastern-Bloc countries.
- Berlin Wall - Constructed in 1961 to prevent the emigration from East Germany to West Germany.
- Prague Spring - A period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968, ended by Soviet-led intervention.
- Solidarity Movement in Poland, which was instrumental in the eventual collapse of communist rule.
- Dissolution: The Eastern-Bloc began to unravel in the late 1980s due to:
- Economic stagnation
- Political reforms in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev
- Public demand for change and democracy
- The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
- The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991
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