One very common, but now outdated, definition of Eastern Europe was the Soviet-dominated communist countries of Europe. This definition also creates confusion with regard to the former East Germany, which has now been reunited with West Germany. A very simple and reliable approach to defining Eastern Europe is found in the work of the famous English historian Alan Palmer. Historically these countries share more than just their position between the powerful countries of the Russians and the Germans. To understand the region in this way, two further definitions are required.
Most scholars also consider Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia to be part of Central Europe.
Some scholars also consider Croatia to be part of the Balkans. These are the countries to the east of Poland, such as Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Since these countries spent much of recent history under the control of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union, they are sometimes studied as part of Russian history. Although politically they have often been part of the Russian sphere, culturally they are in many ways closer to Central European countries. Political One cannot discuss current events or history in the Balkans without making great use of terms such as nation, ethnic group, state, and nation-state.