> some countries came quite close to being classless societies This really does not comport with my own knowledge. At minimum there was always the nomenklatura

> some countries came quite close to being classless societies This really does not comport with my own knowledge. At minimum there was always the nomenklatura and the ruled. None of the Soviet ruled states went as far as the Chinese in putting the boot on the educated class so the pre conquest educated class stayed relatively distinct. Soviet rule didn’t last that long. The extermination of the Jews and expulsion of the Germans had at least as large an impact on the class structure.