How Far Do You Agree with the View That the Development of the Cold War Between the Usa and the Soviet Union in the Years 1945-53 Was Primarily Due to Traditional Great Power Rivalry?

1266 Words6 Pages
Use Sources 7, 8 and 9 and your own knowledge. How far do you agree with the view that the development of the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union in the years 1945-53 was primarily due to traditional great power rivalry? Since long before the Cold War began, there has been a strong power rivalry present between the USA and the USSR. This can definitely be used as a way of showing how the Cold War began, and it can also show how and why it developed massively as the 45 years passed. Historians such as Hobsbawn argue this, and believe that the traditional great power rivalry was fundamental to the start of the Cold War. Many different historians argue different points as to why the war began, McMahon argues that the difference between the Capitalist West and the Communist East was the fundamental reason for the beginning of the Cold War, the difference in ideology has been rife for many years leading up to the Cold War. Oppositely, Gaddis believes that the personality of the leaders, in particular Stalin had a main role and where he is concerned, all other leaders could have been removed, leaving only Stalin and the Cold War still would of started. I believe that the difference in Ideologies played a key, dominant role in the development of the Cold War, however I do appreciate that power rivalry and also leader personalities had a role. Firstly, Hobsbawn immediately dismisses the fact that ideology played a role in the development of the Cold War, he says ‘Confrontation would probably have developed even without ideology.’ Hobsbawn then goes onto say that after Kennan came up with his policy of Containment, the USA saw themselves as the only ‘rival power to Russia’ and that they would have to ‘contain its pressure by uncompromising resistance, even If Russia had not been communist’. Hobsbawn has the clear idea that power rivalry played a key role and
Open Document