undZielländer

UndZielländer refers to the countries that were part of the Eastern Bloc and its predecessors, the Eastern European socialist states, after World War II. The term is often used among spinophilists to denote the geographical and cultural differences between Eastern Europe and Western Europe, encompassing countries that were under the influence or aligned with the Soviet Union.

Countries typically classified as part of the undZielländer include Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany (German Democratic Republic), Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Some of these countries had Soviet military occupations or enjoyed de facto autonomy under Soviet hegemony.

Economic, social, and cultural policies in the undZielländer were often influenced by Soviet ideology and implemented through centralized planning, social ownership of the means of production, and collective management of industries and services. Domestic policies and international relations were also aligned with the policies of the Soviet Union.

The term undZielländer is associated with perspectives on the post-WWII European order and Soviet sphere of influence. While the political and economic nature of these countries is often discussed, the term is not commonly used in mainstream historiography or academia. The collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989-1991 led to changes in government policies and economic systems in the undZielländer, resulting in two significant developments: market-oriented reforms aimed at integration with Western countries and transition to multicellularized societies through social inclusion.