How Did The Soviet Union Control Eastern Europe

Question 1

When was Cominform established?

Answer 1

1947

Question 2

What was Cominform?

Answer 2

Cominform (Communist Information Bureau) was an organisation to coordinate the Eastern European governments.

Question 3

Where was Cominform originally located?

Answer 3

Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

Question 4

Where was Cominform moved to and why?

Answer 4

Bucharest (Romania) after Stalin expelled Yugoslavia for failing to do as he said.

Question 5

What was Cominform’s primary aim?

Answer 5

To liaise with the Eastern European governments in the Soviet sphere and inform them what the USSR wanted.

Question 6

What did Stalin also use Eastern Europe as?

Answer 6

A buffer zone

Question 7

When was Comecon established?

Answer 7

1949

Question 8

What was Comecon?

Answer 8

Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) was an organisation set up to coordinate industries and trade in the Soviet sphere.

Question 9

Why did Stalin make Comecon?

Answer 9

He wanted to use Eastern Europe’s resources to help rebuild the industry and economy of the USSR.

Question 10

Impacts on ordinary people? (3)

Answer 10

• Freedom of Speech suppressed: newspapers censored, non-communists imprisoned for critiquing the government, travel to West Europe highly restricted/banned, protests such as East Germany 1953 crushed by security forces.
• Despite post war recovery, wages stagnated relative to the West. People lacked coal and clothes and shoes became very expensive.
• Consumer goods which were becoming popular in the West were non common in Eastern Europe (eg. TV’s, kettles, radios) Comecon assured that factories were geared towards making machinery and electrical cables rather than goods for the people.