I have been studying Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) academically for many years now, but mostly in the contemporary context. One thing that occupies me is the east/west dichotomy that was ever-present during the Cold War, and persists up to this day to a large extent. I'm especially interested in how this divide is constructed and problematic, but also evolving as time moves on since 1989. (I'll be using the terms western and eastern Europe for convenience, but with appreciation for it being problematic.)

Hence I wondered how far back this construction of a divide goes. I am aware that in some aspects, the pre-Cold War history of CEE is notably different from western Europe. Before WW2, the CEE region saw a lot of new (or returning) states in contrast to the established and continuous states in western Europe. Before WW1, most of CEE was governed by the three major empires - again in contrast to some western European countries and empires which were mostly colonial overseas. On the other hand, however, there was some discussion in Yalta where to draw the Iron Curtain and on which side some countries would fall. The line wasn't as obvious at the time as it seems now, it seems.

So my three questions would be: (1) to what extent did ideas of 'western' and 'eastern' Europe exist before the Cold War? (2) how clear was this divide on the continent back in those days? Was it as 'categorical' as in later time periods, or more diffuse? (3) In particular, I am interested in how countries close to the Cold War-era Iron Curtain were viewed in those times, of course insofar they 'existed' at all. Especially Hungary (having been at the head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Greece (geographically and historically Balkan, but since WW2 included in 'the West'), Finland and the Baltics (a history of both Russian Empire and Baltic/Scandinavian ties).