The difference between Western Europe and Eastern Europe

The Known World
Originally uploaded by jenbrea

The Europe that you know from movies and literature is nearly always Western Europe. From Spain to Germany, it is the best-known and most affluent part of the region.

On the east of Germany lies Poland and the Czech Rap and all the nations of Estern Europe, such as Bulgaria and Romania. Much of Eastern Europe, including Russia, is dominated by the Slavic ethnic group.

Eastern is not nearly as well-off as the West. Austria's per capita is almost $50,000 per year and that of Bosnia, some $8000.

Why? Partly owing to the 50 years the Ossies (Easterners) spent as communists. At the end of WWII the Russians forced the Eastern European nations to become communist. Thereafter their material lives lagged well behind those of France and Germany, nations that were democratic, free enterprise countries.

Review of classic Communism -
1. Total control over lives.
- housing
- jobs
- travel
- totalitarian control

2. Dictatorships.

3. Control over businesses -
- stores
- factories
- farms

While the Russians Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin put the communist dictatorship into action, the ideas of an ideal communist state were developed by German philosopher Karl Marx.