Write An Account Of How The Actions Of The Soviet Union Between 1944 And 1949 Led To It Dominating Most Of Eastern Europe.docx

Write an account of how the actions of the Soviet Union between 1944 and 1949 led to it dominating most of Eastern Europe The first stage included the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences in 1945 where Stalin moved to increase his territory thorough the use of a sphere of influence or a buffer zone. This was essentially the first step for Soviet expansionism as it gave Stalin power in surrounding countries. These included Poland which was strategically important for Stalin as USSR had been invaded twice by the Germans in a short space of time through Poland. Therefore, Stalin wanted a government which he could control – namely a communist government greatly under the influence of Moscow. This led to it dominating many countries in Eastern Europe especially in the Balkans as agreed to in the Yalta conference. This was essential for dominating Eastern Europe as it allowed the Soviet Union to have influence over countries. This was also made possible by the fact that the USSR did not demilitarise like other armies after WW2 and instead posted troops in many Eastern European countries. This allowed them to establish their power or influence in these countries as they had a large military presence which pressured government officials. Overall, this stage led to communist or partially communist governments being set up which expanded Soviet control in Easter Europe. The next stage involved expanding control further and this was in the form of invading other countries such as Czechoslovakia. This stage was essentially the next logical move for Stalin after the first as he already influenced many Eastern European countries through the use of coalition governments. However, this meant that Stalin still did not have total control of the governments. This is why the second stage also involved other worthy opponent parties being discredited and some leaders killed in order for communism to be placed even more firmly in government. This also allowed the Soviet Union to dominate Eastern Europe as it gave the Soviet Union political influence. This was also facilitated by the formation of Cominform which allowed Stalin to monitor countries closely and meant that the leaders of those countries would get orders directly from Moscow. The third stage mainly consisted of the formation of Comecon which was a result of Marshall Aid being offered to Eastern European countries. Comecon was essentially the USSR’s version to achieve the goal of having economic influence in Eastern Europe. This is because countries which were part of Comecon would then be indebted to the Soviet Union and also trade with them. This gave the Soviet Union economic control and allowed the USSR to benefit from countries under their control. In fact, Poland was forced to give coal to Russia for 10% of its market value. This stage was the final one in cementing the Soviet Union’s dominance in Eastern Europe. Without this, the US could have also gained influence through the provision of Marshall aid which would lead to those countries trading with the US and maybe, in the long term, adopting capitalist ideas.