DBQ: Cold War

Many of the historians perspectives about the causes of the Cold War varies to a certain extent. The Orthodox view generally holds that the Soviet Union was responsible for the Cold War. It states that the Soviets were inevitably expansionist , due to their suspicion of the West. Thus, Stalin violated the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, occupied and imposed Soviet control in Eastern Europe and decides to ¨plot¨ the spread of Communism throughout the world with Moscow as its centre. The Revisionist view had an alternative perspective about the Cold War.

This essay will thoroughly argue that it is accurate to state that the Cold War was due to ideological differences. The USA and the USSR each accused the opposing country of expanding their ideology over Europe and other parts of the world. The USA defended capitalism through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the concept of the Iron Curtain, the Marshall Plan and the Domino theory. The USSR, however, supported communism with replies to the USA’s accusations of being expansionist and opportunist and furthermore developed the Warsaw Pact and a series of policies to ensure the spread of communism and limitation of capitalism. There are other factors contributing to the cause of the Cold War, such as Josef Stalin’s dictatorship and suspicious behavior, the USSR’s insecurity of a further attack as with World War II and the USA’s need to keep trade routes available in parts of the world that could not be done if that country was communist.

The United States saw communism as a threat to their capitalist system. The United States wanted to stop the threat of communism in the world. During the entirety of the Cold War, one can argue that the events that unraveled as a circle effect becaus... ... middle of paper ... ...l goal.” Both parties were wrong in coming to conclusion and misperceiving events rather than sitting face to face and coming up with a solution. During the Cold War, there was misperception and perception between the Soviet Union as well as the United States. The Soviet Union wanted to spread communism and take control of the world; the United States wanted to prevent that.

It was characterized by a competition between the nations’ political philosophies- the USSR wanted communism to dominate the world, while the US wanted democracy to prevail. However, the war did not come about suddenly- it was congealed over a period of time by multiple factors. As World War II ended, the

The United States did not want to combat the Soviets physically, but they did stimulate some aggression when they responded to their blockade with the Berlin Airlift. This one-way “trade” ultimately helped the economy of Germany, which encouraged the government to turn towards capitalism instead of communism; it helped the United States by increasing global trade. The Americans were then face... ... middle of paper ... ...d the Soviet Union created, the United States’ civil liberties were vulnerable because of communism. With the economy of the United States being threatened, Americans tried to jumpstart the global economy. The leaders of the United States introduced foreign policy designed to impede the flow of the communist “river” of influence.

The dictionary defines war as, a state or period of armed hostility or active military operations. This definition does not hold true for the Cold War however. The phrase cold shoulder is used to express the act of disregarding someone or thing. This idea better sets the stage for the Cold War which was a period of tension, not armed hostility, between two world powers, The United States of America and The USSR, who both were wishing to disregard the others ideology, capitalism and communism. Many would argue that the Cold War was simply inevitable due to the opposing ideologies but, there are many things to look at when considering the cause.

She states that resolving the differences would require Russia to participate in international agencies to explain their intentions (... ... middle of paper ... ...rs!” (Document H). The Soviet Union and its Communist nations of Eastern Europe created a rival alliance called the Warsaw Pact. This created a political division of Europe that worsened the Cold War. In response to growing conflict, the US introduced the Marshall Plan to help aid nations with whom they held positive relations with and assist them in infrastructure reconstruction. In conclusion, a post-World War II conflict arose between the United States and Russia as a result of growing distrust between the two opposite nations.

From then on, the United States realized that with its great power came great responsibility. The U.S. felt the responsibility to develop a strategy to combat the spread of world communism, which was viewed as the “Red menace.” The U.S. believed that communism would spread from the Soviet Union, across all of Europe; the U.S. understood that the spread of communism would not be very difficult because the destruction caused by World War II left many nations vulnerable to communism. Also, the Soviet Union had a highly-trained army, a ruthless leader, and a nation committed to Marxist-Leninism, which was a belief that human progress is the destruction of Western democracy and capitalism. The Cold War was a military, diplomatic, economic, and scientific struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States. The rivalry between these two nations also affected places such as Korea, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Malaya, and Vietnam.

Doves: Those who stood for a more peaceful means of reconciliation were known as Doves. Doves campaigned to limit arms expenditure and construct a peaceful, symbiotic existence. Rather than attempting to suppress their rivals or use intimidation to gain control, they supported equal competition trade markets and negotiations in order to avoid crises. Some members of the Kennedy administration could be co... ... middle of paper ... ... The Cold war was powered by many factors, but it can be made clear how hugely both military-industrial manufacturers and the secret services impacted the events and final outcome; actions made by the CIA and KGB became historical turning points, just as the rapid improvements and discoveries made in the field of technology has revolutionised the world today.

Containment Policy 1945-1953 America used a variety of methods to contain Soviet influence between 1945-1953. Methods such as Propaganda and flexing of muscle became essential as America justified its policies and actions as part of the struggle to save Capitalist Ideology from the Communist oppressors. Ideology was the main source of conflict between the USA and USSR. This difference in ideology led inevitably to distrust between the two superpowers. The USSR believed in a state controlled economy which discouraged free enterprise, antithesis of America's economic system; the encouragement of free enterprise and the privatization of industry.