"Outside the walls, among others, is the Soviet Empire. It is malevolent, destructive and expanding. It has swallowed up over half a dozen countries since World War II"

This quote by Barbara Amiel is referring to the Soviet Union, which was an effective and overbearing empire that existed throughout the Cold War. It was a major risk to the West and its allies, and had a big influence on world politics. The Soviet Union had a policy of expansionism, and had annexed or occupied over half a dozen nations because the end of World War II. This quote is an alerting to the West of the Soviet Union's power and its prospective to cause destruction. It is a pointer that the Soviet Union was a powerful force that had to be taken seriously. The quote likewise works as a suggestion of the importance of preserving strong defences and alliances in order to protect against the Soviet Union's hostility.