Mao was seen as an instrument of the Soviet Union’s bid to spread worldwide revolution. However, by 1958 relationships between the USSR and China began to deteriorate. One of the most dangerous points of tension during the whole of the cold war was the Taiwan Strait Crisis which occurred in both 1954-55 and 1958 between the USSR and China. The first Taiwan Strait Crisis ended when the Guomindang abandoned the Taschen Islands to the communists but held onto Quemoy and Matsu and at the same time the CCP took a more moderate line and negotiations was started. However, tension came to the
Why did the relations between USA and USSR become worsen in by 1947? (10 marks) The main reason was because of the disagreement between USA and USSR during the wartime conference. Both nation worked together as United member, but this alliance was just a marriage of convenience between communist and capitalists united only in their opposition to Hitler. In Yalta conference, they had different views towards the setting of democratic government. Although they agreed to work for democracy, but they have different interpretation of democratic.
The tactics exercised by the U.S. and Great Britain were created to impede the Soviet Union’s endeavor to explicate pushover communist governments over subverted nations, with this approach Truman exposed his doctrine which pursued a responsibility in determining U.S. relevance’s. Winston Churchill’s public speech in March of 1946 was the principal impassion of what commenced the Cold War. Truman was solicited by his official’s not to advocate Churchill’s declarations, but he was enraged from Stalin’s refuted affirmation of enabling the polish people to establish their own structure of government, and publicly advocated the speech. The American populaces were dismayed by Truman’s arbitration, because Russia was
position on communism. I was a believer that the Cold War was a stalemate between the two superpowers Russia and the U.S. in nuclear arms. The book is well written and help fills some gap in my American history. The book explains how the conflict between U.S. and Russia affected other nations. The strength of the book is how it goes in details about communism showing how it influenced America’s decision in the past, present, and the future.
The Long Telegram and NSC- 68 George Kennan’s long telegram was a response letter to the Soviet’s position. He was basically saying that we could not make ends meet with the Soviet Union because of their philosophy and suspicious leadership. He also, felt capitalism and communism would never mesh under communism. He felt the Soviet Union would try and spread communism globally to attack capitalism and stop western ideas from spreading in communist countries. Kennan predicted the types of laws the Soviet would try to make to defeat the U.S. and explained why we should accept them.
Stalin was worried by the idea of a successful anti-communist government in the west of Germany. Stalin who now wanted to think of a plan to stop the success of the US decided to block off the area of West Berlin. However this threat to Stalin was even harsher due to the Truman Doctrine and containment. Due to the high pressure that the US held over the Soviet Union the idea of success for the US penetrated throughout the whole of the Soviet Union and Russia. Outraged by Western plans to create an independent West Germany, Soviet forces imposed a blockade cutting off rail, highway, and water traffic between West Germany and West Berlin.
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.
The responsibility of the origins of the Cold War often triggers questions among historians yet both powers should be blamed for taking part in it and how the fear from unpaid reparations from Russia, Stalin’s fear of the nuclear weapon and Stalin’s fear of the Truman Doctrine. Through most analyses, the fault was often given to Stalin’s ambitions to expand communism in Europe, a conventional idea of the Orthodox school. Other historians revised this idea therefore blame the United States’ actions for the origins of the Cold War, which were analyses of the Revisionists. Though Later, the Post-Revisionist school was adopted; its goal was not to blame any side but focused on examining “what” caused the start of it. Even though, both sides have claimed responsibility for their actions, Stalin’s intentions should be seen as defense actions from the West therefore, the United States is mostly responsible for the start of the Cold War.
These actions support and represent a competitive capitalist economy, defense for the United States’ border, and encourage rights and democracy worldwide. After World War II, the Soviet Union had forced communism upon several Eastern European countries whom of which they had liberated. The United States feared that once a country became communist, other countries would follow forming the “Domino Theory.” Therefore the United States had shifted the American foreign policy to the policy of Containment. The United States must counteract all communist moves and decisions by the Soviet Union, therefore becoming involved with Vietnam. The goal was to contain countries with a communist government, and prevent the spread of communism to other countries.
Analysis of the Essays There are those who blame the United States, those that blame the Soviet Union, and there are the post revisionists, who take no side. In analyzing these two essays, we see the two opposing opinions quite clearly (there is no essay in this chapter supporting the post revisionists). In the first essay, “Truman’s Hard Line Prompted the Cold War” by Walter Lafeber, the United States is put at fault for instigating the war. Lafeber gives numerous reasons, examples and evidence to strengthen his argument, and among them are: Truman’s hunger for power, his stubbornness to show himself as ‘tough’, and several economic and political reasons as well. Lafaber uses phrases such as “highly insecure” and “tried to compensate for his insecurity” to paint a negative image of Truman.