How did the Soviet Union come to dominate eastern Europe after world war ll
The Soviet Union's domination of Eastern Europe after World War II can be attributed to several key factors:
1. Military Occupation: As World War II came to an end, the Soviet Red Army occupied much of Eastern Europe. They pushed the German forces out of the region, liberating it from Nazi control. This military occupation allowed the Soviet Union to establish control over the territories and install pro-Soviet governments.
2. Yalta Conference: The Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, played a significant role in defining the post-war order. At the conference, the leaders of the Allied powers (the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom) agreed to a division of Germany and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. The Soviet Union was granted control over Eastern Europe, while the Western Allies had influence over Western Europe. This division essentially granted the Soviet Union the authority to dominate Eastern Europe.
3. Political Manipulation: The Soviet Union took advantage of the political instability and weak leadership in Eastern Europe after World War II. They used various tactics like installing puppet governments, manipulating elections, and suppressing dissent to ensure that pro-Soviet communist regimes were established in these countries. The Soviet-backed communist parties took over power in most Eastern European countries, creating a Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc.
4. Warsaw Pact: In 1955, the Soviet Union established the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of communist states in Eastern Europe. This alliance further solidified Soviet control over the region as it provided a framework for maintaining military and political cooperation among the member countries. The Warsaw Pact served as a counterbalance to NATO, the Western military alliance, and ensured the loyalty of Eastern European states to the Soviet Union.
5. Economic and Social Influence: The Soviet Union provided economic aid and assistance to Eastern European countries, which further solidified their control. They established socialist economic systems and integrated these countries into the Soviet-led Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), a trading bloc that promoted economic cooperation among communist states. The Soviet Union also imposed a communist ideology and a Soviet-style social structure on these countries, including the elimination of political opposition and suppression of individual freedoms.
Overall, the Soviet Union's military occupation, political manipulation, establishment of puppet governments, and economic influence allowed them to dominate Eastern Europe after World War II. This control lasted for several decades until the Soviet Union itself collapsed in 1991.