Hello, my name is Maria and I am just about to begin my trip through time, starting during the Cold War. Somehow, I don`t think that we are going to be walking in a winter wonderland or singing carols through the snow! Let`s go grab a history book and jump through the pages back to the fall of an "Iron Curtain," one that darkened all of Europe.....
Although World War II was officially over, many nations had not even begun to recover. Unfortunately, that is the time when Communism spreads the most. Here we begin just before a few leaders make a very important decision. Winston Churchill the Prime Minister of England, Joseph Stalin the leader of the Soviet Union, and President Franklin Roosevelt are about to meet each other at Yalta, a Soviet city, to discuss plans for the post-war world. However, like Hitler before him, Stalin would agree to any deal because he knew he could always break it later. Unfortunately, Pres. Roosevelt was sick and ill-advised so he was also willing to make any pact to save the lives of Americans. Only Winston Churchill saw Stalin for who he truly was but did not have the resources to stop him from destroying the world. So the three leaders declared a treaty in which Stalin promised to hold free elections after the war, to help create and uphold the peace-enforcing rule of the UN, and to declare war on Japan. In return, he was given Poland and Eastern Europe. However, the only promise that Stalin kept was the latter of the treaty, due to his love of destruction and war, therefore urging the spread of Communism. The Communists set up propaganda attacking American policies and different religions all over the world and used their own parties to weaken governments in other countries. They organized strikes to delay recovery and above all, encouraged war.
The life of the common people was a life of fear and hunger. Many were left homeless after the war and even more were dying from starvation. There was a constant fear of not knowing if you would live to see the next sunrise or the terror of a loved one being taken away to a labor camp. In Germany, the people were prevented from escaping to better conditions by means of the Berlin Wall, erected in 1961. Those unfortunate families were imprisoned in East Berlin and most were sent to slave labor camps. In Poland, the people lived in fear of the Nazis until the Communists invaded. Many thought that the Soviet Union would save them but they soon realized that the conditions became worse. Finally, in 1956, the Poles rose in revolts and riots demanding food and freedom. The Soviets realized that they could not control them and put a well-known Polish man named Gomulka on the ruling council. This brave man improved the living and working conditions of the people and gave more freedom to the Church. In Hungary, anyone suspected of being anti-Communist was put in jail or tortured to confess various "crimes" invented by the Communists. Unfortunately, after the people revolted, they were recaptured and imprisoned therefore resuming a life of slavery. In Austria, the people were assaulted and their property stolen. A puppet government obeyed the Soviets` every wish. Austria was divided and although free elections were held, situations did not improve until the Crusade of Reparation of the Holy Rosary was founded. For eight years, various people took turns praying non-stop until in 1955, the Soviets voluntarily left Austria after a meeting in Moscow. They had never and would never again leave a place so willingly.
Conditions began to improve and a few countries began to recover and rebuild. However, the Cold War of Communism had not yet loosed it`s hold on the world. Many still lived in fear and hunger. Not until 1991 would the world be free from the chill of Communism. However, that is a story for next week. As we return from the exciting thralls of history, I am already anxious for the next chapter in my history book and I hope you are too! I, Maria, will see you next week in-between the pages of the history book where we will continue to learn about our history and the effects it has on us today.
