Should we understand this so that nowadays all those former communist countries of the Eastern Bloc are prospering?
No they aren't. It's not that easy to recover from over 50 years of Russian occupation. For example in my country the government was for many years manipulated by Russian puppets. Moscow's finest, who had prominent positions in the institutions and were put in places after the reds "liberated" us from the Germans. I'd also like to remind you that Russian army left Poland in 1993, so the occupation was very much real.
You should've seen the shit they left behind them. They were like animals compared to the western soldiers.
Over 50 years of Russian occupation? I'm afraid that you may have to attend your mathematics class again, buddy.
Don't you worry about my math.
Red Army group, that stationed in Poland for almost 50 years, consisted of 53000 troops and 7500 civilian workers. They had their whole families living here (over 40000).
The withdrawal in the 90s was negotiated and imagine that Russians had their own demands. They wouldn't simply leave, they wanted to leave small bases on Polish soil, most likely to spy, but after all it did not happen.
Russians can call it what they like and use euphemisms, but it was an occupation. Red army guaranteed that the power will stay in the hands of the communist party and the number of protests and strikes proved they needed help. In the years 1945-48 Russians had to face over 1000 anti communist protests in Poland. Nobody here wanted them, yet they stayed for years and years like parasites.
For the hundreds time: not Russian, but Soviet. Not Red Army, but Soviet Army. I feel very much compelled to revive a history sub-topic that I let slip on the Donetsk thread.
Second. Soviet Union pulled its military presence (after rebuilding much of Poland after WWII). USA never did so with West-Germany. In fact as soon USSR moved out of Poland USA moved in. Oh, the irony.
But for a start, for the general historical education, please read the following article:
http://stanislavs.org/the-sorrow-of-a-warsaw-woman-why-poland-is-not-happy-to-be-liberated-from-fascism/
In 1945-1948 Soviet Union was busy rebuilding Poland, sending there engineers, machinery, manpower. Soviet Union itself was still struggling with the aftermath of WWII by the end of 1950s, but all the "brotherly" countries of the Eastern Block were by that time rebuilt and in good shape.
I understand that it's not politically correct to say anything positive about Soviet Union in Poland and that history books are being busily rewritten to suite the demands of the new masters...