The 20th century has been called the century of communism and anti-communism. The fear of communism was more fecund, in terms of its institutional impact, than that of the international communist movement.
In their international politics, Western states tolerated the authoritarian regimes of Spain, Portugal, and Greece, and inspired or supported dictatorships in Latin America and other regions. The withdrawal - and then implosion - of communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Central Europe was a leading factor to the transitions to democracy in other regions of the world.