USSR Control in the Eastern Bloc

What did the USSR control in eastern Europe during the Cold War?

At the end of the Second World War, the USSR was instrumental in placing communist governments in many of the countries that it had helped to liberate from the Nazis in the Second World War. These countries became known as the 'Eastern Bloc', or were referred to as 'behind the Iron Curtain'.

Which countries did the USSR control in eastern Europe?

The USSR's control extended over 6 countries that it had liberated in the Second World War:

• ❖ East Germany.
• ❖ Poland.
• ❖ Czechoslovakia.
• ❖ Hungary.
• ❖ Romania.
• ❖ Bulgaria.

Were there communist countries in eastern Europe that the USSR didn't control?

Some eastern European countries had communist governments after the Second World War but hadn't been liberated by the USSR and were more independent of it. These were:

• ❖ Yugoslavia.
• ❖ Albania.

When did Soviet control of eastern European countries begin?

The USSR helped to establish communist governments in the eastern Europe after Second World War, between 1947 and 1949. It set up different systems to maintain control over them.

How was Soviet control established in eastern Europe?

The USSR used 7 main methods to ensure that communist governments took power in the Eastern Bloc countries after the Second World War.

• ❖ Soviet troops often remained in the countries after they had been liberated.
• ❖ Show trials were used to publicly denounce opponents.
• ❖ Secret police forces investigated and arrested those who opposed the communists.
• ❖ Rigged elections were held.
• ❖ Opposing politicians might be arrested or murdered.
• ❖ Pro-communist propaganda was widespread.
• ❖ Other political parties were forced to merge with the communist parties, or close down.

How did the USSR control eastern European countries?

The USSR used 3 key methods to control the governments and people of the countries in its sphere of influence.

• ❖ Cominform, the Communist Information Bureau set up in 1947, made sure their governments were following the same policies.
• ❖ Comecon, or the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance, was an economic agreement between the countries that was set up in 1949.
• ❖ The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance set up in 1955 to which the USSR, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania belonged.

What was the impact of Soviet control in eastern Europe?

Initially, communism and Soviet control brought hope to many people following the Second World War. However, as time wore on, they found that it had the following 4 main effects:

• ❖ Loss of freedom. People could no longer criticise the government and newspapers were censored. People were forbidden to travel and could be imprisoned.
• ❖ Shortages. Food, fuel and consumer goods were in short supply, and clothes were very expensive. The USSR controlled what the factories produced, so they didn't produce the goods that people wanted.
• ❖ Many countries struggled economically after the war and wages fell.
• ❖ People lost the right to protest. In 1953, Soviet troops killed 400 East Germans who protested against communist policies. Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary experienced a similar reaction.