They also had an advantage because Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet pact with Stalin which took Stalin by surprise. The Russians began destroying factories and farm equipment and burned crops to keep them out of enemies’ hands. But the Germans still managed to make it deep into Russia and were debating whether or not to conquer Moscow and Leningrad. Like Napoleon’s Grand Army in 1812, the Germans were stopped by the brutalness of the Russian “General Winter.” This is where Operation Barbarossa fails. They never were able to take complete
Much of the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States was linked to the end of World War II and the negotiations for settlement that followed. During the war, the Soviets believed that Britain and the United States had intentionally delayed a second front against Germany. They suspected that their so-called “allies” had decided to let the Soviets bear most of the burden of the war, but intervened towards the end to influence peace settlements. These misconceptions left feelings of tension and hostility between the two superpowers. Both the Soviet Union and the United States had very different ideas of how to establish postwar security.
Trotsky was given the task of negotiating with the Germans. Russia was to lose a great deal of land which included 60 million people to the Germans. The land also included 25% of her farming land and 75% of her iron ore and coal deposits. But the treaty got Russia out of the war and allowed Lenin the time to concentrate on home issues. The civil war was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party.
Soviet and US relations changed dramatically between 1945 and 1947, there were many reasons to explain why and how this happened. Firstly, one reason was the end of WW2. During the Second World War, America and the USSR were members of the Grand Alliance in order to oppose Hitler, but when this war finished there was nothing to bring the Communists and Capitalists together. Therefore, the two countries went from allies to progressing enemies after Germany was defeated. This developed until a confrontation, from Western and Eastern Europe, in a nuclear arms race.
That would make Germany weaker and put a buffer zone between Germany and the Soviet Union, Germany had invaded the Soviet Union twice in 30 years and Stalin wanted to ensure that it would not happen again. He also wanted to guarantee that Poland had a pro-Soviet government. Stalin already had a government who were in exile: the Lublin Poles. But Roosevelt and Churchill supported another group, the strongly anti-Communist ‘London Poles’. These Poles had helped organize the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, aiming to gain part of Poland before Stalin’s Red Army took full control of the country.
To understand and identify the aspects of the totalitarian system in both countries it's important to consider both countries history. On November the 11th 1918 Germany agreed to signed the Armistice. After Germany was forced to accept Versailles agreement by accepting guilt for WW 1. As a consequence the German people were demotivated and had no confidence in the new liberal democratic Weimar government and international forces. This resulted in risings such as the Spartacist rising where communists fuelled by the success of the Russian revolution almost occupied nearly every major city in Germany.
During this time, East Germans became fed up with the oppressive policies of the Stazi, the antics of Honecker’s government, and the hated symbol of the Berlin Wall. They reacted against the only thing they could change and tore down the wall. Poland was another major country that disintegrated from communism. Under the lead of Lech Walesa, Poland was growing a rebellious strength. With Gorbachev as Russia’s leader, reforms were putin place as well as removing many USSR restrictions of satellite countries.
Soon after, various evaluations of the war dictated that USA and the “western” supporters (i.e. Capitalist governments) were to blame. As far as Modern World History states, I am led to believe that both sides were “belligerents” of equal contribution to the war’s happening. Russia (USSR) and its Communist Allies have been frequently discarded with the blame of the Cold War’s development but is this harsh judgment really a correct interpretation of the events? Because of allegations leading up to the 1960s, the ordinary western resident would most probably blame the USSR for the war’s happening (obviously the element on pride and patriotism are to be taken into account) but to the more historically taught persons, further elements can be taken into account.
However, you shouldn't make the assumption that devotion to ideology was all that was behind Cold War animosity; countries tend to be more complaint trading partners with countries that share their political systems and both Stalin and the Cold War Era presidents in the US knew this. The tension eventually built, but no one wanted to go to actual war again after the colossal massacre of WWII, hence the term Cold War. 2. Describe and explain the ideological differences between the United Stated and the Soviet Union. In 1917, Russia became a communist country with an agenda of converting the world to communism.
The Doctrine was first used in support of democratic governments in Greece and Turkey. The Marshall Plan--a massive plan to aid in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Western allied nations, as well as neutral nations, and even the Soviet Union were offered economic assistance. The Soviet Union saw this as a threat to their attempt to gain influence in Europe and Asia. The division of Germany after the war---The Soviets blockaded West Berlin, which was deep within Communist East Germany.