THE COLD WAR AND EASTERN EUROPE

The future of Europe had become uncertain after World War II. The eastern part of the continent was liberated from German occupation by the Soviet Red Army, while the western part was liberated from German occupation by the American-British alliance. The conflict between the US and the USSR, who were allies throughout the war, that began with the First Berlin Crisis would give way to the period known as the Cold War. During the 1948-1956 period, the Soviet government would set out to establish various socialist and Soviet satellite regimes in Eastern Europe. One result of this was the emergence of opposition movements in Eastern Europe. These movements, which increased after Stalin's death in 1953, would change form after 1956 and continue in their new form until the end of the Cold War.