Why did a Cold War develop in Europe after 1945?

Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin attended the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the aim of which was to decide the future of Germany. This problem had been at the forefront for some time, even before the war was over. It was popular opinion between the leaders that Germanys economic and military position should be reduced to such an extent that they would no longer have the capabilities to pose as a threat in the future. Germany was to be divided into zones and Berlin which was in the Soviet zone, was occupied by U.S., Britain Russia and France. This division was on a temporary basis, however, as the Western and Eastern powers could not agree on a final peace settlement, the three Western powers united and the Soviet area remained separate, which resulted in Germany being divided into two states. In March 1945, however, Roosevelt expressed his fears of Russian aggression when he informed Churchill that he was, ‘watching with anxiety and concern the development of the Soviet attitude’. Roosevelt believed at the time that Stalin would be better dealt with by a combination of forces such as that of the United Nations Organisation.

On 5th March 1946, Winston Churchill, although no longer British Prime Minister, gave a speech, ‘The Sinews of Peace’. It illustrated the increasing tension between Britain and the United States, and Soviet Russia after 1945. Accompanied by President Truman, he publicly addressed an audience at Westminster College, Missouri where he argued that although Russia should be ‘given her rightful place among the leading nations of the world,’ her expansionist actions in the East were raising cause for concern. Churchill claimed, ‘the Communist parties…are seeking everywhere to obtain totalitarian control’. Churchill reminded his listeners of the consequences of Hitler and Nazism when he ‘cried allowed…but no one paid any attention’, prior to the war. Churchill associated ‘war and tyranny’ with totalitarian governments, namely those in support of Communism and Fascism. In his opinion, the growth of Communist parties throughout the world is cause for concern and was proving to be a ‘challenge and peril to Christian civilisation’. 

In September 1946, the Soviet ambassador in Washington, Nikolai Novikov, highlighted the mutual distrust Russia had towards the West. In a telegram to his superiors he stated that the United States were, ‘striving for world supremacy’ and that the U.S. had hoped that ‘Soviet Union would be destroyed in the war’, using it to their own advantage by making Russia economically dependent. Novikov later points out that, ‘the Soviet Union continues to remain economically independent of the outside world and is rebuilding its national economy with its own forces’. Despite the destruction and huge losses Russia experienced during the war, the country was recovering without assistance from the main economic lenders.

The agreements reached at Yalta, however, were not completely satisfactory or stable. The Potsdam conference in July 1945, which was attended by Truman, Stalin, Churchill and his replacement Attlee, also proved to be unsuccessful. The discussions, based mainly on reparations and borders, resulted in more of a compromise rather than an agreement. The temporary areas were to become permanent as tension increased.  Against the terms agreed on at Yalta Stalin set up satellite Governments in Poland and the Baltic States and by 1947, the areas were under his control. This secured the position of Soviet Russia in Europe. The zones occupied by Britain and America became united under the Marshall Plan creating a West Germany. This posed a threat to Russia and in retaliation, Stalin placed a block on transport and power into West Berlin that lasted for 10 months. Standing ground against Russia, Truman arranged for massive airlifts to provide necessities to the people in West Berlin.

Like the United States and Britain, Russia increased its military power and it developed its own nuclear capabilities. Militarily, they were as advanced as the West due to Stalin, ‘sparing no effort to build up the military strength of the Soviet Union’, with the first nuclear test carried out in 1949.  This reinforced the theory of the West that Stalin was proving to be an aggressive leader that appeared to be a direct threat to Western democracies. Churchill suggested that nuclear capabilities should be withheld, even within the United Nations, remaining in the capable hands of the Western alliance; Britain, the United States and Canada. Despite a call from the United Nations for nuclear weapons to be destroyed, Russia refused resulting in an arms race with the United States. The number of weapons held by Russia and America increased rapidly during the cold war years.

 

Western leaders were committed to containing Communism and totalitarian leaderships. In Greece and Turkey there was an ongoing struggle, with Britain, finding themselves unable to provide financial support the anti-Communist Governments. The United Stated, however, continued to provide economic assistance for democratised countries in a bid to eradicate Communism. By 1947, there was a firm commitment in place to ensure the opposition and prevention of Communist expansion, either internally, or in the form of an external threat. Like wise, there was the threat of Capitalism and Democracy in the Soviet spheres. There was ongoing propaganda surrounding the intentions of both the West and Soviet Russia, competition over the control of Europe was to continue, and hostilities intensified.

In conclusion, the Cold War emerged from the result of disagreements concerning who would be the supreme power, having control in post-war Europe. The political beliefs of those involved differed greatly and there was no common element between them. Despite the attempts to live in peace with one another, mutual suspicions and mistrust by all those involved, led to increasing hostility. The inabilities to compromise and the violation of terms of agreements, raised tensions within what were already, unfavourable conditions. In addition to this, there were great efforts made by the West and the East to encourage support against opposing view opinions, attempting to expand their own influence. Despite the absence of factual evidence that could prove the intentions of the states, the situation escalated out of control and resulted in the outbreak of a Cold War in Europe.

Bibliography

Blum, J., M., McFeely, W., S., Morgan, E., S., Schlesinger, A., M., Stampp, K., M., Woodward, C., V. (1993) The National Experience: a history of the United States, 8th ed., Forth Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers

Devine, R., A., Breen, T., H., Fredrickson, M., G., Williams, R., H., Roberts, R. (1994) America Past and Present, 3rd ed., New York: HarperCollins College Publishers

Quint, H., Cantor, M., Albertson, D. (1978) Main Problems in American History Vol. 2, 4th ed., Illinois: Dorsey press

Sutcliffe, A., (1996) An Economic and Social History of Western Europe since 1945, London; New York: Longman

Urwin, D., W., (1997) A Political History of Western Europe since 1945, 5th ed., London; New York: Longman

World Wide Web

Churchill, W., ‘The Sinews of Peace’ 

(Accessed 17/11/2004)

Novikov, N., ‘The Novikov Telegram’

(Accessed 19/11/2004)

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