Außenblock

Aussenblock is a German term that refers to the collective term for the Eastern European socialist states, particularly those that were part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. These countries included Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. They were characterized by their communist or socialist governments, which were affiliated with the Soviet Union and sought to carry out its policies.

The Aussenblock was created in the aftermath of World War II, with the Soviet Union occupying and influencing the governance of these countries. As the Soviet sphere of influence, these states adhered to Soviet foreign policy directives and often adopted similar domestic economic and social policies. The Aussenblock served as a buffer zone against perceived Western influence and a bulwark against NATO expansion.

The term Aussenblock has been used to distinguish these socialist states from the Western Bloc, which consisted of countries aligned with the United States and other Western European nations. The two blocs were divided by the Iron Curtain, a metaphorical and physical boundary that separated Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War.

As the Soviet Union's influence waned in the late 1980s, many of the countries within the Aussenblock began to transition to democratic, capitalist systems. Czechoslovakia split into two separate countries, and East Germany reunified with West Germany. With the collapse of communism, the Aussenblock effectively dissolved, marking the end of the Cold War era.