Concept
Eastern Bloc
Overview
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Soviet Bloc, the Socialist Bloc and the Workers Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were aligned with the Soviet Union and existed during the Cold War (1947–1991). These states followed the ideology of Marxism–Leninism and various forms of socialism, and were opposed to the capitalist Western Bloc. The Eastern Bloc was often called the "Second World", while the term "First World" referred to the Western Bloc and "Third World" referred to the non-aligned countries that were mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America but also included the pre-1948 European Soviet ally Yugoslavia. Non-Marxist (yet still socialist) countries, such as the Arab socialist governments of The United Arab Republic, Iraq, Libya, Yemen etc., are sometimes considered part of the bloc.
In Western Europe, the term 'Eastern Bloc' generally referred to the USSR and Central and Eastern European countries in the Warsaw Pact (East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania). In Asia, the Eastern Bloc comprised Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, North Korea, South Yemen and China. In the Americas, the countries aligned with the Eastern Bloc were Cuba from 1961, and for a short period Nicaragua and Grenada.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
MARCH 15th, 1852. Bohemia and Croatia (another disjected member of the Slavonic family, acted upon by the Hungarian, as Bohemia by the German) were the homes of what is called on the European continent "Panslavism." Neither Bohemia nor Croatia was strong enough to exist as a nation by herself.
Friedrich Engels, Revolution and Counter-Revolution
States what Eastern Bloc is.
In all the great countries of the Continent, except Russia, a revolution followed quickly on the publication of the Communist Manifesto, but the revolution was not economic or international, except at first in France. Everywhere else it was inspired by the ideas of nationalism.
Bertrand Russell, Proposed Roads to Freedom
Close in meaning to Eastern Bloc; the term itself is not named.
The Asiatic policy of the Russian Government was adopted as a move against the British Empire, and as a method of inducing the British Government to make peace. It plays a larger part in the schemes of the leading Bolsheviks than is realized by the Labour Party in this country. Its method is not, for the present, to preach Communism, since the Persians and Hindoos are considered scarcely ripe for the doctrines of…
Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism
Close in meaning to Eastern Bloc; the term itself is not named.
Philosophers who discussed Eastern Bloc
Related ideas
- Yale University Press
- Armenia
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Political freedom
- Harvard University Press
- Princeton University Press
- Gross domestic product
- East Germany
- Hungary
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Cato Institute
- Joseph Stalin
- Korean language
- Kraków
- Infrastructure
- Laos
- Latin America
- Macau
- Liberalism
- The Guardian
- BBC
- Mao Zedong
- University of Chicago Press
Opposing perspectives
- Pope John Paul II
- Reform and opening up
- Cold War
- Western Europe
- Planned economy
- Libya
- Marxism–Leninism
- Africa
- Iraq
Place in the tradition
Part of Authoritarianism.