Soviet Satellite States

Soviet satellite states were countries in Eastern Europe and beyond that, during the Cold War, were politically and economically aligned with the Soviet Union but maintained their own governments. They were influenced heavily by Moscow’s policies and often had communist governments, serving as strategic buffers against Western Europe. Examples include Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. While not part of the USSR, these states adhered to Soviet policies and contributed to the Soviet sphere of influence, especially after World War II, until the political changes of the late 1980s and early 1990s led to their independence and the fall of communist regimes.