AP World History: Modern
The term "Communist Blocs" refers to the group of countries that were under communist rule during the Cold War. These countries, led by the Soviet Union, formed an alliance known as the Eastern Bloc.
The term "Communist Bloc" refers primarily to the group of countries that were aligned with the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, post-World War II. The Bloc included Eastern European nations like Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and initially Yugoslavia. The emergence of this bloc was a direct result of geopolitical tensions between the Western capitalist democracies led by the United States and the Eastern communist countries under the influence of the USSR.
The Communist Bloc had significant implications for global politics and society. It represented a stark ideological divide that shaped international relations for much of the 20th century. This division led to intense political and military confrontations, including proxy wars. The solidarity within the Bloc facilitated economic and military support among member states but also fostered dissent and movements for reform and independence that eventually contributed to the collapse of communism in Europe by 1991.