1. What were the causes of the cold war? How did the United States and the Soviet Union each react to what it perceived to be the other’s hostility? What was the effect of the Cold War on Europe? The paper will focus on the cause and effect of the Cold War that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union that began at the end World War II.
The Second World War ended in 1945 with the victory of ‘the Grand Alliance’ of the USSR, the USA and Britain. Although on the surface it appeared the West and the Soviets had reached a mutual understanding in their quest to defeat the Axis powers, strains in their relationship during the war and in the years preceding it suggests that conflict was imminent. Thus, certain actions by both the USA and the USSR can be interpreted as prompting the Cold War as early as 1945. As the Cold War did not involve direct conflict between the USA and USSR, locating its origin is a topic of contention. However, the breakdown in relations between the emerging superpowers during the war and the consequences of the disbandment of the Grand Alliance can be interpreted as the start of the Cold War.
‘With reference to 3 flashpoints, discuss the implementation and effectiveness of the US policy of containment’ The Cold War was a period of tension between the world’s two biggest super powers, The Soviet Union and the United States of America as they both competed for supremacy. The Cold War lasted from 1945 until 1991 and during this period they fought for complete dominion over the world. The Cold War was a war fought indirectly through espionage spying, economic aid, proxy wars, propaganda, etc that stopped short of full-scale war. If a war was to break out it would result in a Nuclear War and endanger the existence of the world. The tension between these two countries is because of conflicting ideologies as the Soviet Union were communist
If the Soviet Union were to gain more power than the U.S., that power would allow the Soviet Union to take over. The last reason for U.S. involvement is nationalism, which was also left over from WWI and WWII. Nationalism is having pride in one’s own nation. The U.S. wanted Vietnam to be able to have the chance of having nationalism, but something stood in the way. Communism had divided the countries of Vietnam, causing them to never be able to have Vietnam pride.
After Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no doubt that Japan was an enemy. Also Germany became a clear threat to the United States and it’s allies when it declared war on America following Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor finally causes a separation United States to became implicated in the war that had been waging in Europe since 1930’s. The Korean War like Vietnam lacked a sense of clarity Korea is an important example of a war that did not threaten the United States vital interest. Therefore both Korea and Vietnam presented policy-making challenges not present in World War II.
How far do you agree with the view that the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8 owed more to Soviet expansionism than to USA’s economic interests? The Cold War, dated from 1947 to 1991, was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies, and powers in the Eastern Bloc, dominated by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. This began after the success of their temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences. Some of the major reasons for the development include Superpower Misjudgement, the difference in ideologies, the development of nuclear weapons and the traditional great power rivalry. In this essay I will be looking at 3 sources, Many historians agree with the view that the development of the Cold War owed more to soviet expansionism than USA’s economic interests in the years 1945-48.
Truman started at the bottom in terms of what strategy to take in this war. As mentioned in his speech, The Truman Doctrine, his plan of economic aid was to financially support Greece and Turkey to help them stop communism from expanding to other areas (Truman). Through his efforts in military aid, we became allies with Greece by helping them with their military (Truman). Truman created the United Nations to protect us from communism so communists had a bigger force to get through and keep communism out of the US as part of his military use.(Truman). These ideas are just the start of how the United States would deal with the Soviet Union and
After the end of the Second World War the two war time allies THE USA and SU became involved in a war of ideologies the cold war. The US saw communism as a threat to democracy and capitalism. Therefore the US set out a new foreign policy that was of containment of communism in the Truman doctrine. There were however other reasons for the USA’s involvement such as their military confidence, UN agreement, domestic pressure which called for the T admin to be more tough on communism and their economic interest in Japan which led to the US governments decision to use military intervention in the K war. The main reason for the USA’s military intervention in the Korean war was that of containment.
Karan Agarwal 12 E To what extent was the cold war a result of World War II? ESSAY PLAN Introduction v What was the Cold War? v Differences between USA and USSR Yes, it was a result of the Second World War: v v v v The question of a ‘second front’ during the war had worsened relations between USSR and USA USA had used the Atomic bomb without informing USSR (distrust) The USSR had suffered enormously from the war while the US emerged stronger (threat to USSR). The was a power vacuum in the heart of Europe was filled by The Red Army, that controlled Eastern Europe, which increased the USSR’s sphere of influence (threat to USA). v v Yalta conference agreements resulted in Germany being divided into zones of occupation and Berlin was to have a western zone.
Ideological concern shaped the development of Cold War because the two Superpowers’ ideology was the total opposite sides of the coins. Each of their policies such as economic and domestic policies contradicts each other, added with the bipolar assumption and zero-sum perception of the world; it seemed to them that it would be impossible for the two superpowers to coexist together. USA had a misperception about USSR that they practice the monolithic expansionistic ideology, thus stating that every country that were to turn or had a communist revolution must have started off by the incentive of the USSR. One very famous and obvious example is the Greece Crisis, where USSR was not involved at all but was accused to giving aid to the communists in Greece. Another distinct event where their difference in ideology was clearly shown was during the Yalta Conference where the party declined strictly to have their say accepted about the liberal of the Eastern Europe.