History/Cold War Question?

Question

In what ways have the former Soviet satellite nations handled the fall of the Soviet Union? Which countries have made the transition from totalitarianism to freedom most effectively? Why?

Answer 1

Crikey there are are couple of really good questions there.

The countries that have handled the transition best have been those with traditions of democracy and independence dating back from before the war.  So Hungary, the Czechs and the Poles have found the transition easiest, and the Romanians - Romania was a ruritanian monarchy before the war and Bulgaria, again a corrupt monarchy have found it the hardest.

The surprising one is East Germany - the East Germans have found it tough - obviously many East Germans have prospered, but many miss the certainty, the job for life, the cheap housing, healthcare and education that Communism gave - a feeling known as Ostalgia (Ost being German for East)

The Former Soviet states that have fared best are again those with traditions of independence and democracy, and those with well developed industry, so the Baltic states have done very well whilst Moldova (formerly part of Romania)  Ukraine has struggled, Georgia - say no more.

Central Asia has coped, but mostly hasn't got democratic governments - oil and natural resources have helped the transitions there.

See: The Captive Nations 1945 - 1991 by Patrick Brogan - it's a bit simplistic but a good introduction to the sovietisation and subsequent democratisation of the region.