Making Most of Central Europe Communist

Abstract

Austin looks at the direct aftermath of the Second World War and how the Communists were able to take power across Central Europe. The chapter discusses the postwar Nuremberg Trials, along with the issue of Nazis often staying in their positions of power. Discussions of refugees, population transfers, and forced expulsions in the region demonstrate that borders remained a contentious issue following the war. Through examining how the Soviets influenced the division of Europe through the Yalta Conference and the postwar conferences, this chapter explains the Soviet installation of communist governments across Central Europe, particularly in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Austin tackles the question of why ordinary people embraced communism, even outside places like Czechoslovakia where there was genuine support for a form of communism.