The Soviet Union Responsible For The Consolidation Of...

ESSAY PLAN To what extent was the Soviet Union responsible for the consolidation of communism in Eastern Europe in the period 1945-1953? Introduction During the aftermath of World War II, the Soviet Union was primarily responsible for the consolidation of communism in Eastern Europe. †¢ It was in the spring of 1948 that the Soviet Union had aggressively pushed for the imposition of Communist rule in most East European nations o Eastern Europe under Communist rule was comprised of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia †¢ East European nations started to adopt USSR foreign policy agreements and embarked on Stalinist transformations of their political, social and economic systems †¢ The Soviet Union’s domestic policies combined with Stalin’s external ambitions were key factors in the consolidation of Communism in Eastern Europe The Soviet Union as an emerging global power in the post-war context †¢ After WWII, Stalin and other Soviet officials were determined that Eastern Europe be converted into a buffer zone against future invasions from other nations o Many Eastern European countries began to support the Soviet Union †¢ Stalin viewed the creation of a buffer zone in Eastern Europe as the best way to obtain economic benefits from the region o From eastern Germany, the Soviet Union extracted 3 500 factories and 1.15 million pieces of industrial equipment in 1945 and 1946 o There was an increase in Soviet military power in Eastern EuropeShow MoreRelatedDeclaration of Independence from My Parents1033 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Soviet Union Animal Farm is most famous in the West as a stinging critique of the history and rhetoric of the Russian Revolution. 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