Write an account of how the actions of the Soviet Union between

1944 and 1949 led to it dominating most of Eastern Europe

The first stage included the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences in 1945 where Stalin moved to
increase his territory thorough the use of a sphere of influence or a buffer zone. This was
essentially the first step for Soviet expansionism as it gave Stalin power in surrounding
countries. These included Poland which was strategically important for Stalin as USSR had
been invaded twice by the Germans in a short space of time through Poland. Therefore,
Stalin wanted a government which he could control – namely a communist government
greatly under the influence of Moscow. This led to it dominating many countries in Eastern
Europe especially in the Balkans as agreed to in the Yalta conference. This was essential for
dominating Eastern Europe as it allowed the Soviet Union to have influence over countries.
This was also made possible by the fact that the USSR did not demilitarise like other armies
after WW2 and instead posted troops in many Eastern European countries. This allowed
them to establish their power or influence in these countries as they had a large military
presence which pressured government officials. Overall, this stage led to communist or
partially communist governments being set up which expanded Soviet control in Easter
Europe.
The next stage involved expanding control further and this was in the form of invading other
countries such as Czechoslovakia. This stage was essentially the next logical move for Stalin
after the first as he already influenced many Eastern European countries through the use of
coalition governments. However, this meant that Stalin still did not have total control of the
governments. This is why the second stage also involved other worthy opponent parties
being discredited and some leaders killed in order for communism to be placed even more
firmly in government. This also allowed the Soviet Union to dominate Eastern Europe as it
gave the Soviet Union political influence. This was also facilitated by the formation of
Cominform which allowed Stalin to monitor countries closely and meant that the leaders of
those countries would get orders directly from Moscow.
The third stage mainly consisted of the formation of Comecon which was a result of
Marshall Aid being offered to Eastern European countries. Comecon was essentially the
USSR’s version to achieve the goal of having economic influence in Eastern Europe. This is
because countries which were part of Comecon would then be indebted to the Soviet Union
and also trade with them. This gave the Soviet Union economic control and allowed the
USSR to benefit from countries under their control. In fact, Poland was forced to give coal to
Russia for 10% of its market value. This stage was the final one in cementing the Soviet
Union’s dominance in Eastern Europe. Without this, the US could have also gained influence
through the provision of Marshall aid which would lead to those countries trading with the
US and maybe, in the long term, adopting capitalist ideas.