[glopez12323]

How did 45 years of socialism in Eastern European countries make it difficult for these countries to make the transition to capitalism after the collapse of the soviet union?

[Siberian Fox]

Moderation note: This sounds like an essay question. Moved to the Academia forum. Please elaborate and tell us what you're been thinking so far - you're more likely to get a reply that way.

[KurtFF8]

This does indeed sound like an essay question, and of course a politically loaded essay question at that. The idea that "socialism is the reason that capitalism was a miserable failure at first" is absurd to say the least. There is a sort of consensus that the "shock therapy" of the Chicago School (free market ideologists) was the cause of the harshness of the transitions. Some folks argue that a "slower smoother" transition would have been better.

Of course I would argue that no transition would be ideal.

[Goldberk]

First of all the assumption that there was 45 years of Socialism in eastern Europe needs to be challenged, and secondly difficult for whom? the chaotic transformation was certainly welcomed by many who in the now capitalistic elites of eastern Europe.