Puppet state Facts for Kids

A puppet state is a country that looks independent but is actually controlled by another, more powerful country. Imagine a puppet on strings; the puppet moves, but someone else is pulling the strings. In the same way, a puppet state's government makes decisions, but a stronger country secretly (or not so secretly) tells them what to do. This often happens because the stronger country has its military in the puppet state. The term "puppet state" is often used to criticize or show disapproval of such a government.

What are some examples of puppet states?
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What are some examples of puppet states?

A puppet state is not a new idea. Countries have been controlling others for a long time.

Before World War II

Here are some examples of puppet states from before World War II:

The Far Eastern Republic was controlled by the Soviet Union.
The Kingdom of Holland was controlled by the First French Empire.
The Kingdom of Poland (1916-1918) was controlled by the German Empire.
Panama was influenced by the United States.
The Grand Duchy of Warsaw was controlled by the First French Empire.
The Emirate of Mongda was controlled by the Ottoman Empire.

During World War II

During World War II, the Axis countries (like Germany, Italy, and Japan) created several puppet states. They set up governments in conquered areas that would follow their orders.

The Kingdom of Albania (1939-1943) was a puppet state of Italy.
The Hungarian State of National Unity (1944-1945) was a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
Manchukuo (1932-1945) was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan.
The Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945) was controlled by both Italy and Nazi Germany.
The Slovak Republic (1939-1945) was a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
Vichy France (1940-1942) was a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
The Free State of Burma (1943-1945) was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan.

After Italy surrendered in World War II, Germany created the Italian Social Republic as its puppet state.

During the Cold War

The Cold War (1945-1989) was a period of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Both superpowers had countries that were considered their puppet states.

Soviet Union's influence

Many Eastern European countries were controlled by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. These countries often had similar political systems to the Soviet Union.

People's Republic of Bulgaria
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
East Germany
Hungarian People's Republic
Socialist Republic of Romania
Polish People's Republic
Democratic Republic of Albania
Mongolian People's Republic
Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia
Democratic Republic of Vietnam (also known as North Vietnam)
North Korea (until 1976)

The Soviet Union also had influence over parts of Austria until 1955. In some of these countries, people tried to overthrow their governments. However, the Soviet Union and its other puppet states would often invade to put the old government back in power. Some countries, like Romania, tried to have more independence from the Soviet Union.

United States' influence

The United States also had countries that were seen as puppet states or strongly influenced by them during the Cold War.

Cuba (before 1959)
Guatemala (until 1991)
South Korea (until 1976)
Republic of Vietnam (also known as South Vietnam)
West Germany
North Yemen

Current examples

Today, some areas are still described as puppet states, often due to ongoing conflicts or disputed territories.

The Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic are seen as puppet states of Russia.
Nagorno-Karabakh is considered a puppet state of Armenia.
Northern Cyprus is a puppet state of Turkey.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia are seen as puppet states of Russia.
Transnistria is also considered a puppet state of Russia.
Azwd is a puppet state of Mali.

Images for kids

First French Empire and French satellite states in 1812
Map of the British Indian Empire. The princely states are in yellow.
Map of the Finnish Democratic Republic (1939–40), a short-lived puppet state of the Soviet Union. Green indicates the area that the Soviet Union planned to give to the Finnish Democratic Republic, and red the areas given by Democratic Finland to the Soviet Union.
The greatest extent of the territory which the Soviet Union politically, economically and militarily dominated as of 1959–1960, after the Cuban Revolution but before the official 1961 Sino-Soviet split (total area: c. 34,374,483 km2)
Map of bantustans in South-West Africa (present-day Namibia) as of 1978
Abkhazian President Alexander Ankvab with Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk in 2013. Both Abkhazia and Transnistria have been described as puppet states of Russia.
Northern Cyprus in 2009