Communist Bloc

“Communist Bloc” refers to the eastern bloc states of the Warsaw pact, consisting of the countries that chose or were essentially forced to become a “satellite nation” to the Soviet Union. This term however was frequently used to describe any and all allies of the Soviet Union during the Cold war. The original “Communist Bloc” was a union of countries occupied by the Soviet Union following World War II, united for the purpose of raising assets and manpower to rebuild eastern European nations destroyed by the war, with the Soviet Union directing many of these resources to themselves. The German land possessed by the Soviets was transferred to Poland, which was at the time, also controlled by the Soviets. Stalin raised support in these largely non-communist countries by convincing leaders that he was in the process of undermining the British controlled zone, and that the United States would withdraw, leading to a fully communist Germany. This, along with smaller programs to empower the communist minorities in eastern European nations, as well as the forceful will of Stalin upon the people, allowed communism to spread to a seat of prominence in the Eastern Bloc countries.