The Eastern Bloc refers to a group of socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War, primarily aligned with the Soviet Union. This bloc included countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, and Romania. These nations were characterized by one-party rule, state-controlled economies, and limited political freedoms. The Eastern Bloc was established after World War II and lasted until the late 1980s, when many of these countries began to transition to democracy and market economies. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the decline of communist influence in the region, leading to the eventual dissolution of the bloc.