World War II divided Europe into Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Following the war, Joseph Stalin made Eastern Europe a “buffer zone” by establishing communist governments that would be subject to Moscow. He believed that this move would ensure that Russia would be protected from any future military threat from the West. Although World War II ended in 1945, Western Europe and Eastern Europe are still referred to as separate regions of the continent to this day.

While communism ravaged Eastern Europe economically, genuine Christianity thrived under the tyranny of godless leaders and repressive regimes. On the other hand, while the countries of Western Europe enjoyed democratic, capitalist governments, their liberties were a deterrent to the spread of the Gospel. Under the influence of Western culture, these countries prospered materially but declined spiritually. Today, apathy, atheism, and apostasy abound across Western Europe.