Lesson 5: Stalin’s creation of Cominform and Comecon

• What was Cominform and when was it created?

  Cominform was created in 1947.
• What was Comecon and when did it start?

  Comecon started in 1949.
• Why did Stalin create Cominform and Comecon?

  To counter the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan.
• Which countries were members of Cominform?

  Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and others.
• How did Cominform help Stalin control satellite states?

  By ensuring Stalin's orders were followed in each country.
• What action did Stalin take regarding the Marshall Plan through Cominform?

  Ordered Eastern European countries to reject it.
• What was the main goal of Comecon?

  To assist the economies of Soviet satellite states.
• What did Comecon ban regarding trade?

  Trade with the USA and capitalist countries.
• How did Comecon affect Bulgaria's trade with communist countries?

  Increased from 20% in the 1930s to 90% by 1955.
• What were the consequences of Cominform and Comecon's creation?

  • Highlighted differences between capitalism and communism
  • Increased tension between the USA and the Soviet Union
  • Propaganda intensified from both sides
  • Led to the formation of NATO by the USA and allies
• How did the creation of Cominform and Comecon impact Western countries?

  Increased worries about the threat of communism.
• What was the significance of the propaganda spread by Cominform?

  It aimed to promote anti-American sentiment.
• What was the relationship between Comecon and the economies of communist countries?

  Comecon aimed to control and assist their economies.