The Evolution of Europe: Post-World War II Developments in the

East and the West

 How have the WWII aftermaths influenced the evolution of

Europe?

I am working on analyzing the process of evolution in the case of Europe after

WWII, so that I find out how post WWII developments in the East and the West
have affected the evolution of Europe, because I want to help my readers
understand better the importance of WWII aftermaths in the evolution of
Europe.

 What was WWII?

First of all, to better understand what World War II truly was, we must look at the
core of the term “war”. According to Oxford dictionary, war is a situation in which
two or more countries or groups of people fight against each other over a period
of time. World War II was the most destructive war in history and a pivotal event in
the history of Europe, reshaping the economic, political and social landscape of the
continent.1 Millions of people were killed and displaced throughout the conflict,
which also caused the collapse of infrastructure and cities and the rise of new powers
and ideologies. The war also marked a significant turning point in the history of
Europe.

 When did WWII happen?

World War II took place from 1939 until 1945.

 What was the cause of WWII?

World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. However, while this invasion
sparked the battle, its fundamental causes dated back decades. Indeed, the legacy of
World War I, economic distress in Germany, Adolf Hitler's ideology, Allied failure,
and Japanese territorial ambition all helped to spark the conflict.

 How did WWII affect Europe ideologically?

1
Europe after WWII - EU Learning. (2023, October 5). EU Learning.
https://carleton.ca/ces/eulearning/history/europe-after-wwii/
The continent was divided into two distinct spheres of influence, with the West (also
named The Western Bloc) under the democratic influence of the United States and the
East (also named The Eastern Bloc) under the communist influence of the Soviet
Union. This division would shape the Cold War era and influence the integration and
cooperation efforts among European nations.

 How was the Soviet Union affected after WWII?

The Soviet Union extended its influence over eastern Europe, as the Red Army
occupied and liberated countries from Nazi Germany. In the latter months of World
War II and the second half of the 1940s, the Soviet Union directed the installation of
Communist regimes throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The imposition of
communist regimes led to state-controlled economies and suppression of political
freedoms. Over the next four decades, these regimes constituted the so-called Soviet
bloc. The Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe is often referred to as The Iron
Curtain - a name given by Winston Churchill in 1946 2. The Iron Curtain was not
only a metaphor, but also a real barrier of fences, walls, minefields, and watchtowers
that separated the "east" from "west." This physical barrier included the Berlin Wall.
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill popularized the term "Iron Curtain"
in a speech delivered on March 5, 1946, in Fulton, Missouri, just after World War II
ended1. "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic," he declared of the
communist governments, "an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." The
Iron Curtain's limits and rigidity were partly lessened in the years following Joseph
Stalin's death in 1953, but they were reintroduced with the construction of the Berlin
Wall in 1961. With the communists' renunciation of one-party rule in eastern Europe
in 1989-90, the Iron Curtain completely vanished. The Marshall Plan provided
billions of US dollars to European countries between 1947 and 1951 to aid in their
post-war reconstruction; nevertheless, these funds were subject to stringent
requirements, including the implementation of liberal, democratic, and capitalist
policies. Unsurprisingly, the Soviet regime forbade access to the financial aid, which
enabled the reconstruction of Western Capitalist Europe, while advancing American
commercial and foreign policy interests3. The Soviet governments that took hold in
Eastern Europe did so at varied speeds, but generally quite quickly. Due to their
2
How did the Soviet Union influence Eastern Europe after World War Two - DailyHistory.org. (n.d.).
https://www.dailyhistory.org/How_did_the_Soviet_Union_influence_Eastern_Europe_after_World_War_Two

3
idem
involvement in the World War II anti-German resistance movement, the indigenous
Communist parties led by Josip Tito and Enver Hoxha gained significant political and
military leverage in both Yugoslavia and Albania. Throughout the conflict, the
partisan forces of Tito and Hoxha had also battled against their own domestic
adversaries, and as the combat and shelling subsided, they were able to seize control
of their respective nations. In Romania Nicolae Ceausescu was also a passionate
follower of the Communist regime and forcibly induced King Michael to abdicate.
Once in power, they quickly acted to establish Stalinist regimes and declare “People’s
Republics” that closely mirrored the Soviet system turning them into Soviet
satellites4. In order to establish a buffer against any Western intervention, the Soviet
Union established communist regimes in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania,
Bulgaria, Albania, and East Germany. These nations joined the Warsaw Pact, an
armed coalition headed by the Soviet Union that challenged NATO, the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was established by the allies of the West. The
division of Europe was symbolized by the Berlin Wall, a barrier that divided the city
of Berlin into eastern and western parts from 1961 to 1989 5. The socialist East
German government constructed it in order to stop its people from emigrating to the
West. It was difficult to escape because the wall was made up of seven concentric
barriers with different obstacles and security features. Many people tried to flee by
different means, such as tunnels, balloons, boats, planes, and cable railway. The wall
was a symbol of the Cold War and the Communist bloc.6

 How was the United States affected after WWII?

The United States emerged as a global superpower and a “leader” of the Western bloc
after WWII. The United States provided economic and military aid to war-torn
Europe through initiatives such as the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine. The
Marshall Plan (1948-1952) consisted of financial aid granted to the war-torn nations
of Europe and it aimed not only to rehabilitate Europe, but it served as an offense
against the rapidly expanding communist dogma. The plan offered $13 billion (about
$140 billion today) to 17 countries over four years, in exchange for economic and

4
idem

5
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, December 15). Berlin Wall | Definition, Length, & Facts.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berlin-Wall

6
idem
political reforms helping restore industrial production, trade, agriculture, and
infrastructure, as well as foster democracy and cooperation.7
The Truman Doctrine declared immediate economic and military aid to the
governments of Greece, threatened by communist insurrection, and Turkey, under
pressure from Soviet expansion in the Mediterranean area.8 Britain claimed it could
no longer afford to support those Mediterranean countries, which the West felt were
in risk of falling under Soviet influence, as the US and the USSR battled to achieve a
balance of power during the Cold War that followed World War II.

 What were The European Unity movements?

A great effect of World War II was the rise of movements for European unity and
integration, as a response to the horrors and devastation of the war. Many European
leaders and intellectuals, such as Winston Churchill and Jean Monnet, advocated for a
"European Family" or a "United States of Europe" that would ensure peace and
prosperity for Europe. The European Coal and Steel Community (The European
Coal and Steel Community was a post-World War II European organization formed to
merge Europe's coal and steel industries into a single common market based on the
supranational premise.) was the first step toward this vision, as it laid the foundations
for a common market and a political union. The Treaty of Rome (The first six
member states, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands,
signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The Treaty of Rome established a common market
and customs union among its signatories.) established the European Economic
Community (EEC), which expanded the scope of integration to include agriculture,
transport, trade, and social policies. The EEC would later evolve into the European
Union (EU), which today comprises 27 member states that share a single market, a
common currency, and a range of policies on various fields.

In conclusion, World War II had a significant impact on the evolution of Europe, as it

transformed its political map, its economic relations, and its social identity. The war
divided Europe into two antagonistic blocs that competed for influence and security
during the Cold War whilst also stimulating Europe's integration process that aimed to

7
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023b, December 21). Marshall Plan | Summary & Significance.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marshall-Plan

8
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023c, December 21). Truman Doctrine | Definition & Facts.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Truman-Doctrine
overcome its divisions and achieve greater unity and cooperation. World War II was
thus a catalyst for change and development in Europe's history.