1. Soviet motives for taking control in central and eastern Europe 1945 - 1955
Central and eastern European states faced political and economic challenges in the interwar years and were vulnerable to Soviet influence following the Second World War. This vulnerability was exploited by Stalin who established Soviet dominated communist parties in the countries 'liberated' by the Red Army after 1943. This page examines Stalin's motives for wanting to secure such firm control in central and eastern...