The Inevitable Spread of Soviet-backed Communism in...

The Inevitable Spread of Soviet-backed Communism in Eastern Europe At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States were principle players involved with reshaping post-war Europe. The region most affected policy changes was Eastern Europe, which includes those states that would eventually fall behind the Iron Curtain. While the camaraderie between the Big Three deteriorated, Soviet-backed communism was spreading across Eastern Europe. The argument during this time was that expansionism was inevitable since Stalin had already decided to establish Soviet power and Soviet-typed systems in the lands his army occupied; resistance was pointless. While nothing in history is inevitable, to a great extent,†¦show more content†¦Democracy never properly developed in Eastern Europe. The leaders and the elites of the newly independent Eastern states believed that Western-styled constitutional governments would produce Western-styled democracies that would be stable and prosperous, as well as effectively guarantee their p ower against challengers. Democracy strangely benefited the old elites and extremists were elected into government. The democratic roots planted in Western Europe were unable to take hold, leaving Eastern Europe vulnerable to communism. There were also political and economic structural weaknesses in Eastern Europe after 1945. The communists had a high probability of successfully filling the void in the political structure. The forces to resist them were no longer there, either because they were destroyed by World War II or undermined by the outcome of post-war settlements. Those involved in the fledgling democratic forces in Eastern Europe were systematically killed, deported or forced into exile, first by the Germans, then by the communists, illustrating the weak democratic foundations of the region. According to Schopflin, In essence, Central and Eastern Europe was the scene of a power vacuum and the communists proved to be the force best able to fill it (60). In Czechoslovakia, for example, the old elite lost prestige and self-confidence after the war, and the upper and middle classes were repressed. In Yugoslavia, the war left a tradition ofShow MoreRelated The Spread of Soviet-Backed Communism Across Eastern Eu rope after 19452042 Words   |  9 PagesThe Spread of Soviet-Backed Communism Across Eastern Europe after 1945 In seeking to provide an answer to the question, â€Å"Was the spread of Soviet-backed communism inevitable across Eastern Europe after 1945?,† I would like to point to the words of a contemporary specialist. 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