Soviet bloc

The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Soviet Bloc, the Socialist Bloc and the Workers Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were aligned with the Soviet Union and existed during the Cold War (1947–1991). These states followed the ideology of Marxism–Leninism and various forms of socialism, and were opposed to the capitalist Western Bloc. The Eastern Bloc was often called the "Second World", while the term "First World" referred to the Western Bloc and "Third World" referred to the non-aligned countries that were mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America but also included the pre-1948 European Soviet ally Yugoslavia. Non-Marxist (yet still socialist) countries, such as the Arab socialist governments of The United Arab Republic, Iraq, Libya, Yemen etc., are sometimes considered part of the bloc.