Soviet satellite state facts for kids
Soviet satellite states were puppet states indirectly controlled by the Soviet Union. This meant that they were countries controlled by leaders who were really controlled by the Soviet Union. Soviet satellite states included the Warsaw Pact countries and Mongolia. The Soviet Union chose leaders in these countries who were loyal to the Soviet Union and would send in the military if the local people protested against the local government.
Examples were:
- The People's Socialist Republic of Albania (Satellite 1944–1960; government extant until 1992)
- The Polish People's Republic (1944–1989)
- The People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
- The People's Republic of Romania (1947–1965)
- The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–1960 and again 1968–1989)
- The German Democratic Republic (1949–1990)
- The Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)
- The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–90)
Most of these "Eastern bloc" countries had compulsory national service for young men. They also had varying numbers of Soviet troops and KGB agents. All these countries had detailed control of information (censorship), and other aspects of the Soviet system. Many features of the Soviet information control were put into practice in distant countries, such as Cuba.
Other terms which may be used are:
- Buffer state
- Client state
- Vassal state
- Puppet state
