What was the 'Soviet Sphere of Influence' in the Cold War?

Question: What was the 'Soviet Sphere of Influence' in the Cold War!?
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Well the Soviet Union headed the Warsaw Pact, communisms answer to NATO, and COMECON, Communisms answer to the EU!.

Through all this, they did not just influence but actually completely controlled Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria!.

In addition, they had a massive influence over other European Communist countries such as Yugoslavia, Albania and Romania!.

Finland, although neutral and non communist was fairly compliant to Soviet wishes also!.

In Asia, Communist nations such as Viet Nam, Mongolia, Laos, North Korea were under Soviet influence!. China, although Communist, was essentially a rival of the USSR!.

Middle Eastern nations such as Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Libya and Yemen, although to a lesser degree, were under the Soviet sphere of influence, as was for a time at least the South Asian nation of Afghanistan!.

In Africa, Communist Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia were under Soviet influence or control!.

In the Americas, it was Cuba and Nicaragua only that were allied to the Soviets, and for a very brief period, Greneda!.

Of course the USSR itself was in fact a Russian Empire, with the Russians holding the following peoples, all now independent, under forced Russian rule within the USSR; Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kirghizistan and Tadjikistan!.

The Soviets also influenced and funded various rebel and terrorist groups around the world, including the Kurdish PUK in Turkey, and violent groups in Germany, Italy, Greece, France and in many parts of South America,Central America, Asia and Africa!.

Hope this all helps!Www@QuestionHome@Com

After WWII the Soviets wanted a protectiion buffer and they saw other countries within their sphere of influence!. So they considerd the future Warsaw Pact countries as within their sphere of influence!. They also considered Austria and Greece within their sphere but Churchills negotiotions with Stalin in 1944 protected Greek independance from the Soviets!. But by saving the Greeks he had to accept the Soviets interest in the Balkans and Poland (which was very hard for him to do as this was the reasion the UK declared war)Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Soviet Sphere of Influence expands and shrinks through the cold war!.

The simplest way to think of it would be to lump all the Communist countries in, which is what people did initially!. This was mostly Eastern Europe, but then North Korea, China and Cuba!.

However, as time went on, people began to realize that the communist countries were not monolithic!. China & the USSR for example are bitter enemies!. Yugoslavia was not under the Soviet boot either!. North Korea, Loas, & Vietnam are also separate!.
But the majority of Eastern Europe were directly under the heel of the Soviets, as Red Army units were stationed in or near their cities to crush any uprising such as happened in the 1960's!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Cold War Soviets controlled most of Eastern Europe from the Baltic States down to the Balkans!.The control was military ( via the Warsaw Pact and stationing of the Red Army ) political and economic!.The boundaries of the Soviet Bloc were pretty much settled by the position of the Red Army at the end of WW2 with some minor adjustments : the Soviets withdrew their army from Austria!.Yugoslavia and Albania (neither of which had been occupied by the USSR ) became communist but fell out with Stalin!.

’Influence’ is a much looser concept than control!.The Soviets were very keen to extend theirs!.The Warsaw Pact countries gave them a buffer zone against NATO in Europe!. But the USSR had a large land mass and still felt vulnerable to Western and in particular US influence!. So they sought to extend their comfort zone beyond Eastern Europe with a mixture of military and economic aid in a number of different places!.(They also hoped to increase the number of votes they could rely on in the UN!.) Economic and military aid to and support for Cuba is perhaps the single most obvious example!.But nearer home they were also very active in the Middle East : supplying arms to Egypt and Syria at key points in the Arab-Israel conflict!.They have also been involved in Iran and still have interests and influence there!.The Far East should have also been fertile ground for Soviet influence following Mao’s takeover and the growth of communism is SE Asia Unfortunately for them Stalin and Mao fell out!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://upload!.wikimedia!.org/wikipedia/co!.!.!.

follow this link!. its pretty much the area in red!. Look on a modern map to see what these countries are today!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It extended throught the whole of Eastern Europe in what were classed as the Warsaw Pact!.!.!.!.so East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czecheslovakia, Romania and surrounding areas as well as the Baltic States!.!.!.!.quite a large area !.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com