... this acceptance of Russian control was further reinforced by the fact that the west had separate spheres of influence which the Soviet Union could not interfere in. The precedent set prior to Yalta through Italy where Russia had no power reinforced Russia's right to have hegemony over Eastern European countries. The post war settlement to a certain extent accepted the separate spheres of influence, which later developed into east and west Europe. Others argue that the division of Europe may explained by the affect of soviet expansionism and the affect that it had on the west, the imbalance of power and the fear this caused. Explanations regarding the aims of the Marshall plan and the atomic bomb developed by the USA may also offer insights into why the division of Europe occurred. Many argue that the post war settlement led to the division of Europe, in the sense that the ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now