The immediate post-war period in Europe was dominated by the Soviet Union annexing , or converting into Soviet Socialist Republics , all the countries invaded and annexed by the Red Army driving the Germans out of central and eastern Europe . New satellite states were set up by the Soviets in Poland , Bulgaria , Hungary , Czechoslovakia , Romania , Albania , and East Germany ; the last of these was created from the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany . Yugoslavia emerged as an independent Communist state allied but not aligned with the Soviet Union , owing to the independent nature of the military victory of the Partisans of Josip Broz Tito during World War II in Yugoslavia . The Allies established the Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council for Japan to administer their occupation of that country while the establishment Allied Control Council , administered occupied Germany . In accordance with the Potsdam Conference agreements , the Soviet Union occupied and subsequently annexed the strategic island of Sakhalin
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
Aftermath of World War II