Question

What was common in Eastern Bloc Nations?

Answer 1

Hint: The Communist Bloc, the Socialist Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc were all names for the Eastern Bloc. During the Cold War (1947–1991), the Eastern Bloc was a coalition of communist states in Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, and Southeast Asia that were ruled by the Soviet Union (USSR) and stood in opposition to the capitalist Western Bloc.

Complete answer:
The term "Eastern bloc countries" generally refers to the countries that the Soviet Union occupied at the end of WWII. East Germany, formerly the Soviet occupation zone in Germany, and Poland were among them. Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria are all members of the European Union. Yugoslavia was communist, but it maintained its independence from Soviet power and pursued an aggressive neutrality policy in foreign relations.

Stalin used the Red Army's advance and occupation of Eastern Europe at the end of World War II to form a defensive ring of satellite states, stopping any attacks from the West. He forced communist regimes on them. Political dissent was suppressed, and state censorship was widespread. The organization Cominform was established to organize Soviet political power.

Their economies were highly centralized and dominated by the government. Comecon was established to regulate trade between countries in the former Soviet Union. It was a response to similar moves in the West, such as the Marshall Plan. It turned out to be a complete disaster. Military forces were governed by the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 in response to West Germany's rearmament within NATO.

Hence, controlled economies were common in eastern bloc countries.

Note: Remember that Eastern bloc countries are those countries that the Soviet Union occupied at the end of World war II. It included: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and, before the 1960s, Albania, as well as the Soviet Union, were among the countries involved.