Western Europe Since the End of WWII

¶ … Western Europe Since the End of WWII in 1945

What do you consider the biggest changes to have taken place in Western Europe after 1945? After World War II, Europe became divided into two blocs: the East and the West. This division was caused by the rapid spread of Communism in Eurasia or Eastern Europe propagated by the Soviet Union. While the Eastern Europe was converted into becoming a Communist-Socialist society, Western Europe was given foreign aid by the United States through the European Recovery Program. The ERP is part of the U.S.-led Marshall Plan for the European and Asian regions, in its attempt to regain control over other countries and curb the growing influence of Communism in the said regions. Because the Eastern Europe was already influenced by Communism, Eastern Europe, although it remained susceptible to Communist influence, gained from the ERP and was able to economically recover and rebuild its countries. The ERP made the Eastern European countries dependent on the U.S., and this also marked the dismantling or breakdown of colonial empires established by England and France (among others) in the Asian region prior to the Second World War.

What was the post-war role of the United States in Western Europe? How did it contribute to the present strength of those European countries? As was stated and discussed in the earlier question, the United States played a vital role in rebuilding the war-torn European countries. More specifically, U.S. helped revive the Western European economy by providing foreign aid through the European Recovery Program (part of the Marshall Plan). The cooperation of Western Europe with the U.S.'s containment policy plan for the European and Asian regions resulted to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. NATO aims to provide security, economic stability, and freedom to its member countries, which are mainly countries in Western Europe, which were not influenced by Communism in Eastern Europe and Asia. Apart from the NATO, the economic cooperation, security, and stability developed during the post-war period in the Western European countries led to the development of the European Union (EU), established in the 1990s.

How firm was the hold of the Soviet Union on its Eastern European satellites? The division between Western and Eastern Europe led to different consequences between the two. Western Europe, which decided to adopt the capitalist and democratic ideology of the U.S., attained economic security, stability, and success over the years. Eastern Europe, on the other hand, suffered economically because the Communist-Socialist ideology does not subsist to capitalism and economic progress through free markets and trade, leading to the eventual stagnation of Communist European countries. As a result, Eastern European countries began adopting the free market and trade model of the U.S. (capitalism), such as the Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. The eventual fall-out between Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union shows that economic progress and stability plays an essential role in strengthening relationship among countries, affecting in the process the balance of political power and control between the U.S. And the Soviet Union, as well as the strengths and weakness of each country's preferred ideologies.

Discuss the role of Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Gorbachev. Nikita Krushchev was Joseph Stalin's successor and held the post as the Soviet Union's prime minister from 1958 to 1964. Unlike Stalin, Krushchev tried to foster friendly or diplomatic ties with non-Communist countries, although this strategy is contrasted by his own policy of cooperation with other countries while adopting a Communist-Socialist nation. This position is his attempt to illustrate to the U.S. that Communist-Socialism is more efficient than capitalism. He was also the Soviet Union leader who almost engaged his country in the Cuban-Missile Crisis against the U.S., only to withdraw at the last minute under pressure from then U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He was met with criticism because of these policies, and was later ousted to be replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. Under Brazhnev's leadership, the Soviet Union experienced economic stability. However, the country still failed to move forward and compete against other countries in the world. Under his rule, Soviet Union began adopting stringent measures in order to secure its control over the Eastern European countries (which are slowly turning away from the influence of Communism), such as the use of military force. He characterized the world's perception that a Communist-Socialist society is indeed a society where terror and coercion dominates rather than freedom. Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader in 1985, implemented the economic reform of "glasnost perestroika," allowing economic freedom into Soviet Union. He was also instrumental in the eventual disintegration of Communism in the country, leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and to be replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States.

What benefits were expected from decolonization and what were the actual consequences? The process of decolonization among previously-held empires and colonies of most countries in Western Europe during the post-WWII period shows that despite the freedom that the colonies have achieved, detrimental effects abound. One of these adverse effects includes the continuing influence of the colonizing country to its colony, especially in terms of economic and political governance. Furthermore, the effect of stratification that became rampant during the colonial period continues to plague the newly-established societies of the colonies. These factors eventually results to a stunting and stagnation of growth and independence among the former colonies.