Growth of Nations in Eastern Europe Chapter 32 Section 5 Section 5

Defined Eastern Europe is an eastern region of Europe variably defined. It can denote: the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Central Europe and Russia. This contemporary delineation is more commonly used to identify the region since the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact a diverse area of land stretching from east to west as follows: - its eastern limit is either the Ural Mountains within Russia or from the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East - its western limit is the boundary between the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States

Politically, "Eastern Europe" may in fact cover all of northeastern Eurasia, since Russia is one single transcontinental geo- political entity. Cyprus is also frequently taken to be a European state, although geographically it is in Asia. The same approach is also sometimes taken with the post-Soviet states of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus.

More recently, the term "Eastern Europe" has been used to refer to all European countries that were previously ruled by Communist regimes - the so-called "Eastern Bloc". The idea of an "Iron Curtain" separating "Western Europe" and Soviet-controlled "Eastern Europe" was dominant throughout the period of Cold War which followed the Second World War.

As a cultural and ethnic concept, the term Eastern Europe was defined by 19th century German nationalists to be synonymous with "Slavic Europe", as opposed to Germanic (Western) Europe. This concept was re-enforced during the years leading up to World War II and was often used in a racist terminology to characterize Eastern/Slavic culture as being backwards and inferior to Western/Germanic culture, language, and customs. Eastern Europe would then refer to the imaginary line which divided predominantly German lands from predominantly Slavic lands. The dividing line has thus changed over time as a result of the World Wars, as well as numerous expulsions and genocides.

Previous to 1989

Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the Piast dynasty. Poland's first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, was baptized in 966, adopting Catholic Christianity as the country's new official religion, to which the bulk of the population converted in the course of the next century. In the 12th century Poland fragmented into several smaller states, which were later ravaged by the Mongol armies of the Golden Horde in 1241.

In Polish Democracy every member of parliament was able to break any work or project by shouting 'Liberum Veto' during the session. Russian czars took advantage of this unique political vulnerability by offering money to Parliamentary traitors, who in turn would consistently and subversively block necessary reforms and new solutions.

The Soviet Union instituted a new communist government in Poland, analogous to much of the rest of the Eastern Bloc. In 1948 a turn towards Stalinism brought in the beginning of the next period of totalitarian rule. The People's Republic of Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) was officially proclaimed in In 1956 the régime became more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. In 1970 the government was changed. It was a time when the economy was more modern, and the government had large credits. Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union, "Solidarity" ("Solidarność" in Polish), which over time became a political force. It eroded the dominance of the Communist Party; by 1989 it had triumphed in parliamentary elections. Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in The Solidarity movement greatly contributed to the soon-following collapse of Communism all over Eastern Europe.

Tatra Mountains