Iron Curtain’s Fall: Eastern Europe’s Economic Rise

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The fall of the iron curtain brought a new dawn in Europe. Since its fall, the west and the east of Europe had been able to intermingle in different sectors. Economically the states have benefited. The opening of the free trade between nations in Europe is the main reason for the economic gain experienced by the states in Eastern Europe. Most ex communist members of the USSR are joining the European trade block since 1991 after the break of the iron curtain. The iron curtain had tied the countries from east of Europe from participating in business with countries from west. This restriction made the economies of these nations to be suppressed.

High rates of unemployment, low income levels, low GDP were characteristic of most communist countries. Communism was favored by the USSR and put the members to have a deteriorating economic growth. Communism could not allow economic growth and the new dawn of the fall of the iron curtain promised life to the communist. Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia, ex communists have formed a passport free travel across the 24 country zone.

This has enabled the free movement of over four hundred million people among the countries. This has been referred by politicians as a new iron curtain involving east Europe countries. Switzerland and Cyprus are also expected to join the move. This free movement has positive effects to the economies of these nations. Ukraine has embarked on industrialization processes and has a lot of clothing businesses taking place since the fall of the iron curtain. (Raymond, 2002)

Main body

Czechoslovak and Germany made history after the barbed wire separating them was cut. This brought about several changes in the relationship between Czechoslovak and Germany. A visa free environment was created allowing members to move freely. The free movement favored business within the members thus improvement in the economy of the countries. The agreement between Germany and Czechoslovak did not however meet the needs of the Czechoslovak and they felt that they were being oppressed by the Germany. They argued that the conditions were neither favorable nor practical to them. However, in the look of things there was a great improvement in the diplomatic relationship that boosted peaceful coexistence between the countries.

The formation of the European Union was possible only after the fall of the iron curtain. More than ten countries have joined the union with an aim of securing a stable economic support. The European Union has helped the east Europe countries in several ways especially after Washington put quotas to their exports to the United States.

The export quotas affected clothing and textile industry, steel industry and other bans on exports to the United States from the east Europe countries including agricultural quotas which adversely affected east of Europe. The union acted as a savior in the 1991 hit of the quotas. The members can comfortably absorb the products from the east countries which do get their market through to the United States. (Raymond, 2002)

The western government also gives a lot of support to the east Europe countries which were highly affected during the iron curtain. The International monetary gave out five billion dollars to the east countries in 1991 to help them recover from the economic depression they had suffered as a result of the iron curtain. This financial boost and support brought a strong cohesion between the west and east Europe and today the entire Europe is at peace with each other as compared to the other regions of the world. (Kalina and Ann, 2000)

Although the enlargement of Europe after the fall of the iron curtain did bring a lot of positive changes to the east, it also caused some short term hiccups to the countries in the east. Politically there have been lots of debates on the effectiveness of the European Union with some nations from the east declining membership. This is politically motivated and might have some negative effects on the development of these countries.

Conclusion

The European Union has been compared to a new iron curtain that segregates some countries in east Europe. Poland and Ukraine has been the major ex communist beneficiary but some countries have not yet felt the effect of the fall of the iron curtain. The iron curtain has been to some communists, a great economic drag that is explained by the European Union as intentional exploitation of the East by the West of Europe mainly Germany, United Kingdom and France which are believed to be Europe’s powerhouse. The fall of the iron curtain however has proven to have more benefits to the east than criticism that they face.

The east countries have been exporting their goods to superpower countries through the umbrella of the European Union. (Kalina and Ann, 2000) The quota that had been put on the east by the United States are not affecting these countries as they have a broader market and economic security provided by the countries in the west. By the end of this decade, there is a possibility of more than ten countries from the east and central Europe joining the European Union and other trading blocks in Europe.

References

Blij, D. and Muller, E. Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts, New York: New York press, 2002.

Kalina, Stefanova and Ann, Waugh. Eastern Europe, theater after the iron curtain, London: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Raymond, Pearson. The rise and fall of the Soviet Union, New York: Prentice Hall, 2002.

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Iron Curtain’s Fall: Eastern Europe’s Economic Rise

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