The Soviet Union's support for communist regimes in Eastern Europe intensified after World War II, particularly from 1945 onwards. In the years following the war, the Soviets established control over several Eastern European countries, ensuring that they aligned with communist ideologies and Soviet interests. This included nations like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and East Germany, solidifying a buffer zone against the West. The Soviet Union provided military, economic, and political support to maintain these regimes, which were characterized by authoritarian rule. This period marked the beginning of the Cold War, as tensions grew between the Soviet bloc and Western democracies.