World History Question!

Question

Okay, here's the assignment:

Write a short essay in which you discuss events since WWII which have tended to support the statement you paraphrased.

This was the statement:

In 1957, an East European writer stated "The Communist East European countries did not become satellites of the USSR because they benefited from it, but because they were too weak to prevent it. As soon as they become stronger, or as soon as favorable conditions are created, a yearning for independence and for protection of their own people from Soviet hegemony [dominance or control] will rise amoung them...."

This is how I paraphrased it:

The Communist East European countries didn't become allies of the USSR by choice but by force. As soon as they become stronger, they really wanted to become independent of the USSR.

Please Help! Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-WWII_S...

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/easterne...

Answer 2

The soviet bloc was decided both in 1939, with Germany. Soviet occupation of the Baltic States. When World War II started in September 1939, the fate of Baltic countries had been already decided in the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact and its Secret Additional Protocol of August 1939.

In Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania —, the occupations were initiated by Soviet Union pressuring all three to accept Soviet military bases, threatening to attack immediately in case of refusal. Soviet Union also attempted this tactic on Finland; however, Finland refused, leading to the Winter War, and later, the Continuation War.

And then later after the Soviets had switch sides and Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin had met in Theran and litterally devided the world up.

Answer 3

Perfect, good job!  You paraphrased it exactly, and concisely. You don't need to look at anything else!

Answer 4

I agree, they did not become allies of the U.S.S.R. by choice.  My family is from the country of Latvia, a former Soviet republic.  After World War II, the Russians installed their own politicians in leading roles, then had them "beg" the Russians to accept them into the Soviet Union.  In fact, the Latvian people were highly against this.  The people did not outright oppose their "government", because that would either mean deportation to Siberia or a swift death (both of which happened to members of my family).  That yearning for their own independence was always there, but it manifested itself in different forms than outright conflict.  These people kept their culture alive, teaching it (sometimes in secret) to their children and grandchildren.  As the 1980's came, Gorbachev eased the Soviet Union up a bit with his glasnost, and the people saw their chance for direct conflicts for independence.  

As to your paraphrasing, I would take out the word "stronger" and replace it with "As soon as the right moment came, they showed more desire for their own independence"

Answer 5

I don't think so. in the Korean and Viet Nam war there were 2 parts, one wanted to be communist and the other capitalist.

That means only a part were forced to be a Soviet Union satellite.

Answer 6

the usa and ussr where in a race to go to the moon