Download Stalin Spreading Communism throughout Eastern Europe and How

Stalin Spreading
Communism throughout
Eastern Europe and How
the United States Reacted
Kendra Reiley
Democracy, protection of individual liberties,
and free enterprise were the beliefs that
constituted American ways. They felt that
if this was adopted by other countries that
it would lay groundwork for a peaceful and
wealthy political system.
Joseph Stalin also wanted to recreate the Soviet
Union. He wanted to present the Soviet Union
with communism as an alternative to the
capitalist system. The Soviet Union wanted to
establish a buffer zone in Eastern Europe
Communism is the system of
government in which property and
the means of production are owned
by a community instead of
individuals. Communism was
established under Lenin and was
continued under Josef Stalin. In the
communist view, the war is
acceptable politics through using
violence.
Stalin had to maintain the social order in Eastern
Europe and he suppressed any democratic
process that was into his control. Stalin wanted
to spread his personal type of communism to
areas outside Soviet control. There was not a
trace of freedom left in Europe. Communists
governments were brought in and were backed
up by Soviet troops. Stalin wanted to distribute
political resources in favor of the national
communist parties in Eastern Europe and he
attempted to create a culture that got rid of their
noncommunist opponents.
Stalin entered into the
politics of the eastern
European countries. The
Soviet government tried
to install communist
governments throughout
Eastern Europe. The Red
Army was liberating the
nations of Eastern
Europe. The Soviets
thought that they had an
agreement with the
western democracies that
made Eastern Europe a
Soviet influence.
Stalin refused to allow the
freely elected
governments in Poland,
Czechoslovakia and other
Eastern European states
that were being antiSoviet. The cold war
began because of this
struggle for control of the
politics of these nations.
By 1948, the only country
in Eastern Europe outside
direct Soviet control was
Yugoslavia
The Western democracies,
led by the United States,
greatly wanted to stop the
spread of communism
and Soviet power. They
were not able to stop the
Soviets in Eastern
Europe, but the U.S. and
Britain were determined
to prevent communist
governments from
gaining power in Western
Europe.
The United States
reacted by creating
a currency. The
western powers
wanted to
introduce a new
currency because
of inflation in
Germany.
The Soviet Union thought
that if the currency reform
was successful, West
Germany would become
a strong power, and this
would threaten Russia's
position in East Germany.
When the new currency
was introduced to West
Berlin, the Soviet Union
cut land communications
between West Berlin and
the western German
zones.
Two million people of western
Berlin seemed likely to starve
to death. They then decided to
airlift food supplies to the
millions starving in West
Berlin. This showed the strong
determination of the western
nations to resist Russian
Communism. The U.S. formed
an anti-communist military
alliance with the western
nations. Stalin realized that he
could not force the withdrawal
of western nations from West
Berlin. He admitted defeat by
lifting the Berlin Blockade