After World War II, there were significant changes in political boundaries across the world. Many European countries lost their colonies, resulting in the emergence of new independent nations. The Soviet Union expanded its territory by annexing several states, including Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Germany was divided into two countries, East and West Germany, with the latter being a capitalist democracy and the former being a communist state. Additionally, the United Nations was formed, which played a significant role in maintaining global peace and stability.