What was common in Eastern Bloc nations?
1 Answer
They had communist governments and command economies.
Explanation:
Eastern bloc countries usually refers to the countries taken over by the Soviet Union at the end of World War 2. These were East Germany formerly the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany, Poland Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Yugoslavia was communist but retained its independence from Soviet control and took a a position of active neutrality in international politics.
At the end of World War 2 Stalin took the opportunity of the Red Army's advance and occupation of Eastern Europe to set up a protective ring of satellite states, preventing future attack from the West.
He imposed on them communist governments. Political opposition was suppressed and there was widespread state censorship. Cominform was the organisation set up to co-ordinate Soviet political control..
Their economies were highly centralised and state controlled. Comecon was set up to regulate trade between Eastern bloc countries. It was a reaction to parallel moves in the West for example the Marshall Plan. It proved to be very unsuccessful.
Militarily forces were controlled through the Warsaw Pact set up in 1955 as a reaction to the re-armament of West Germany within NATO.
