Part of The Student Room Group

  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

The USA were more to blame for causing the Cold War. How far do you agree?

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Transfer-Encoding: chunked Thursday 14th April 2016 10 Mark Question: Start of the Cold War ?The USA were more to blame for causing the Cold War.? How far do you agree? The Cold War is the name given to the hostile relationship that developed between the USA and the USSR after World War Two. It dominated international affairs for decades, and there debate over which country was most at fault for the start of this period. In some ways, the USA can be seen as more to blame for the causing the Cold War. Firstly, the testing of the atomic bomb caused great tension. On 6 August 1945, the American B29 bomber plane Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. ...read more.

Middle

Under the Doctrine, the USA provided military and economic aid to Turkey as well as Greece. This confirmed that the two sides feared the spread of the other. Finally, the Marshall Plan which was also introduced in 1947 helped to build pressure. Truman believed that poverty provided a breeding ground for Communism so he wanted to make Europe prosperous again. $17 billion dollars poured into Europe in the years 1947-51, providing vital help to the economy. However, it also caused tensions, as Stalin saw America?s hidden agenda to try and contain Communism. Therefore, he refused Marshall Aid for the USSR and banned Eastern European countries from accepting it. However, the USSR can also be to blame. ...read more.

Conclusion

This helped tighten his hold on his Communist allies as it restricted their contact with the West. The Berlin Blockade also increased tension; Stalin had become angry because America, Britain and France had made the arrangements in Germany seem permanent with the introduction of a new currency. Therefore, he cut West Berlin?s physical links with the west, hoping to force the Allies to withdraw. However, it only angered the USA, and their response was to deliver supplies by plane. By May 1949, the Blockade had failed. Overall, I think the USA were more to blame for starting the Cold War. Although both countries took action that may be seen as aggressive, I think America helped to force the tension more by attempting to show their dominance over the USSR with events such as the Hiroshima bombing in 1945 and the introduction of Marshall Aid in 1947. http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/americanicons/images/USFlag.gif http://cheyennayoungcoldwar.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/9/5/29954103/5324860_orig.jpeg ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE International relations 1945-1991 section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related GCSE International relations 1945-1991 essays

  1. What Caused the Cold War And Who Was To Blame?

    Stalin was cold and paranoid. He did not trust The British leaders or the American leaders. Truman, who replaced Roosevelt after his death in 1945, did not trust Stalin either.

  2. The Cold War - major events. Revision notes.

    20 October * Kennedy decided on blockade of Cuba 22 October * Kennedy calls on the soviet Union to withdraw missiles 23 October * Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev who said he will not observe the blockade 24 October * Blockade begins, the missile carrying ship accompanied with soviet

  1. Who was more to blame for the beginning of the Cold War, the USA ...

    The fact that both the USA and the USSR were now both involved in aiding their respective halves of Europe (The USA helping the West with the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine, and the USSR using Cominform and Comecon to support the East).

  2. Who was to Blame for the Cold War

    It may have been a 'Cold' War with no actual fighting between the two superpowers but in isolated and otherwise irrelevant theatres of war such as Vietnam and Korea the two nations did fight for their ideologies to be accepted into that country.

  1. Cold War Short Essays - Questions and Answers.

    However, the most significant reason was because of the Berlin Blockade. This signified that neither superpower were willing to give up and would put up a good fight. However, the other reasons did contribute to the worsening of relations. Explain why relations between USA and USSR changed in the years 1948-53 (12 marks)

  2. Edexcel Cold War 1943-1991 Revision (Detailed)

    Rivalry between USA and Soviet Union increased. Truman had publically stated that the world was divided into two ? free and un-free. 3. USA was committed to the policy of containment 4. USA decided on the Marshall Plan. Although it was generous, it was mainly because of self-interest.

  1. Can the Bombing of Hiroshima be Justified?

    The Americans were bitter about Pearl Harbor and wouldn?t let it slip. The sources are valid, but they are biased and would, of course, defend the bombing. Revenge is still a valid reason for their attack, as the U.S. previously were isolationists and refused to get involved in the war up until this point.

  2. Who was to blame for the cold war?

    Several key issues arose in this conflict. First, the U.S. felt alienated when Czechoslovakia rejected Marshall Aid, which the U.S. blamed on the influence of the communist party. Second, the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia was a communist; the President and Foreign Minister were not.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work