Economy of Easter Europe without Communism

Elisia

Banned
My first thread here how exicting:D

How had the economy of Eastern Europe developed without decades of communism/socialism?

The CSR was among the top 10 industiralized nations in the 1930´s
Poland had a pretty big economy as well

And what about Russia? Could a capitalist greater Russia have become an even greater economic superpower than the US?
 
Really depends on what happens to Eastern Europe before the communist alignment. Does World War II take place? In my opinion, that had more to do with the retardation of Eastern European growth than socialism did. Consider that the war was primarily fought there, and how much industry was destroyed in the conflict by both the Germans and the Soviet soldiers.

And who takes power there if not the socialists and communists? I don't think its right to assume that the alternative equates to prosperity or freedom. Particularly in the Baltic states, where a lot of the people were Nazi collaborators and supported the Nazi advance. You'll find that not a lot of Eastern Europe was democratically inclined, and more accepting of who will restore their prestige and strength. A mindset like that would lead to decades of economic retardation that wouldn't be much different than OTL.
 
Really depends on what happens to Eastern Europe before the communist alignment. Does World War II take place? In my opinion, that had more to do with the retardation of Eastern European growth than socialism did. Consider that the war was primarily fought there, and how much industry was destroyed in the conflict by both the Germans and the Soviet soldiers.

And who takes power there if not the socialists and communists? I don't think its right to assume that the alternative equates to prosperity or freedom. Particularly in the Baltic states, where a lot of the people were Nazi collaborators and supported the Nazi advance. You'll find that not a lot of Eastern Europe was democratically inclined, and more accepting of who will restore their prestige and strength. A mindset like that would lead to decades of economic retardation that wouldn't be much different than OTL.


The Balts were more Anti-Soviet than Pro-Nazi. If Stalin didn't take them over in 1940 and they would have been invaded anyways the Germans would have found a less warm welcome.
 
Within 15-20 years Poland given its size and location will be at the level of Spain in a positive sense economically! Already, Sovakia, Estonia ( more of a Scandinavian nation really ) and Sovenia are in the Euro and not in the PIIGS group and neither are Cyprus or Malta, Indeed, Belguim, Italy and France are far more likely to end up there!
 
Within 15-20 years Poland given its size and location will be at the level of Spain in a positive sense economically! Already, Sovakia, Estonia ( more of a Scandinavian nation really ) and Sovenia are in the Euro and not in the PIIGS group and neither are Cyprus or Malta, Indeed, Belguim, Italy and France are far more likely to end up there!

Agreed, Communism was a complete disaster everywhere it was tried. There never was anything resembling a prosperous Communist counrty ever. Without Communism Eastern Europe would easily have an economy 25% larger than OTL.
 
You are over-egging the pudding, but even given all that you claim, Eastern European nations would probably be better off because of better integration into the world economy.

Really depends on what happens to Eastern Europe before the communist alignment. Does World War II take place? In my opinion, that had more to do with the retardation of Eastern European growth than socialism did. Consider that the war was primarily fought there, and how much industry was destroyed in the conflict by both the Germans and the Soviet soldiers.

And who takes power there if not the socialists and communists? I don't think its right to assume that the alternative equates to prosperity or freedom. Particularly in the Baltic states, where a lot of the people were Nazi collaborators and supported the Nazi advance. You'll find that not a lot of Eastern Europe was democratically inclined, and more accepting of who will restore their prestige and strength. A mindset like that would lead to decades of economic retardation that wouldn't be much different than OTL.
 
Other alternatives would be pretty much the same; a bunch of paternal autocracies with economy of the "state capitalism" type with various monarchist and nationalist cronies filling the cabinets and lining their pockets. The myth of "if no communism, everything is better" is a bit naive. Without any political sympathies I can at least confirm that for Croats it was good in the overall economical picture.

As for Russia, before WW1 she was one of the countries with the biggest growth in the world, about 7 to 8% per year. And she had a genius by the name of Pyotr Stolypin for one of its last prime ministers, if not for anything then at least for its peasant reforms. If she have successfully dealt with its domestic instability, abstained from WW1/fought it more effectively you could have a stable society that would be in a far better position to challenge US for the first place, WW2 or no.
 
Eastern European nations would probably be better off because of better integration into the world economy.

What makes you think they would integrate into the world economy? Developing nations such as those in Latin America or Africa did not integrate because they couldn't compete within the world economy. Import substitution was the approach for states not within the Soviet persuasion, and it was pretty disastrous for some countries when they realized their homegrown industries couldn't even compete with Japanese or America goods once they finally made the jump into the international economy.
 
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