It can be argued that one of the main reasons that the Cold War began was the ideological differences that were in place between the two countries. The USA feared the increased influence that the Soviet Union had over Eastern Europe and they believed that the ideas of Communism were a threat to America’s national security. Although during World War II, the two countries laid aside their political differences, nit was evident from Yalta and Potsdam, that once the war was over “the ideological differences between the USSR and the other allies,.., begun to resurface.” In 1946, the USA became more concerned with the increased communist activity within Europe. There were developments in France, which transformed the political situation as the Communist party seemed likely to take power of the country. The political consequences alarmed the USA as it changed the balance within Europe.
These ideological differences also presented themselves in terms of aid, as the USA introduced measures, such as Marshal Aid, in order to curb Soviet, thereby communist, influences. After the end of the war, the Soviet Union expanded the communist regime to include the majority of Eastern Europe as One by one, communist governments, loyal to Moscow, were set up in Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. These actions alarmed the Allies who feared the communist regime and pushed the USA towards the ideas of containment. In his speech, Truman said, “the seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil sol of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of the people for a better life has died.” This speech expressed the American opinion of communism and was the basis for the Truman doctrine. The Marshall Plan and the Truman doctrine, was a form of aid that was provided by American to all European countries that were facing economic difficulties. General Marshall saw the effects of stagnation and economic declines, as it led to the rising support for Communist parties within European countries, thus he believed that if aid were provided then the influence of the Communists would be decreased. “In Washington and Rome, General Marshall and Ambassador Dunn maintained that emergency assistance would be predicated on the exclusions of communists from that government.” The introduction of the Marshall Plan further angered the Soviet Union as they considered the move as a clear attack upon communism. The Soviet Union saw the introduction of the plan as a cover for American Imperialism and at the UN, the Soviet representative, Vyshinsky said that ‘the plan is an attempt to split Europe into two camps and to complete the formation of a bloc several European countries hostile … to the Soviet Union.’ This shows that the Soviet Union felt that the USA was planning to use economic aid as weapon against them by breaking down the defences that they had built.
An immediate and important factor that can be attributed as the cause of the Cold War was the invention of nuclear weapons, and the subsequent Arms Race between the USA and USSR. After Truman had informed Stalin of it successful invention of the Atom Bomb at the Potsdam conference, ‘Stalin ordered a telegram sent to those working on the atomic bomb in Russia to hurry with the job.’ The use of the bomb to end the war led to further fears by the Soviet Union as it displayed America’s willingness to use nuclear weaponry to secure its aims. Stalin’s reaction was expected as the invention of the bomb shifted the balance of power, even Truman was ‘aware of the immense strength the possession of such a bomb gave the United States, especially in dealing with the Soviets.’ The invention of nuclear weapons played an immense part in the Cold War, as the possession of a weapon was the main cause for fear and distrust. The Soviet fear was amplified by their concerns over the use of the bomb due to the fact that America had now candidly expressed their anti-communist opinions, and were afraid that it would be used ‘... for the purpose of achieving its Imperialist goals from a position of strength in ‘the Cold War’’. The atom bomb also played a significant part, as America was now both economically and militarily stronger than the Soviet Union. After the end of WWII, Russia was economically unstable as the war left considerable effects and exhausted Russia’s military. The Soviet Union’s desire to compete with America, led to an Arms Race in which both countries competed, which led to hostilities and unimproved conditions between the two countries.
When assessing the reasons behind the cause of the Cold War, it is important to consider the characters and attitudes of the key figures involved during the crisis. The hostilities between the two main rival countries were intensified by the dislike, which the two political leaders felt towards one another. This can be attributed as a cause of the Cold War, as the animosity between Stalin and Truman led to suspicious and hostile conditions, which meant that peace talks were impossible. When Truman became president of the USA, in 1946, three months before the Potsdam conference, he made clear his view on the USSR. The Washington officials realised that Truman would completely different to his predecessor as ‘Unlike Roosevelt, he was unwilling to compromise with ‘Uncle Jo’ Stalin, whom he believed was a little more than a bully.’ This shows that Truman’s attitude was less than willing to comply with the demands of Stalin, and the difference in attitude between Roosevelt and Truman can be argued to attribute the difference in relations between the USA and the USSR from Yalta to Potsdam. Truman’s unwillingness to co-operate with the Stalin was amplified by his statement, ‘I’m tired of babying the Soviets’. After a meeting with Truman, the Soviet foreign minister Molotov realised that the ‘wartime collaboration was over’, as in this meeting Truman had ordered that the Soviet Union to reform its actions in Eastern Europe. This could be marked as the cause of the Cold War, as it was now evident that the communication and co-operation between the two countries would be restricted. The feeling of distrust was mutual as Stalin felt that he could no longer trust Truman, due to the views and beliefs that Truman held. The main hostility that both leaders felt towards one another was due to their differential ideological beliefs. The inability to overcome their differences meant that both Truman and Stalin ‘found it virtually impossible to talk calmly’ thus making it impossible for either to come to agreement over issues.
It is also important to consider the effect that fear played in the events of the Cold War. Both the United States and the Soviet Union feared one another because of the ideological differences, economic and military power. After the Soviet invention of nuclear arms, America felt compelled to secure their position through the invention a more explosive weapon in order to protect her interests. America feared that Soviet actions, of introducing communism into Eastern Europe would activate a ‘domino effect’, which meant that should ‘Greece and Turkey fall to the Communists, then Western Europe, Northern Africa, Iran, and the Middle East would all be threatened.’ They feared that if Communism succeeded, then it would compromise the position of America. The USSR, on the other hand feared the invention of nuclear weapons, which until 1949, was solely in the hands of the USA, as they believed America ‘intended to use the atomic weapon for the purpose of achieving its Imperialist goals.’ The suspicious nature of the two countries also meant that their outlooks on events differed. ‘Each side had their own interpretation of the other’s actions – what one side considered self-defence, the other side interpreted as aggression.’ This can be seen in evidence by the fact that the USSR believed that in taking control of Eastern Europe, they would be able set up a defence barrier but the same actions were considered by America as to be Soviet communist expansion.
In conclusion, it has to be said that although individually each factor can be argued as the cause of the Cold War, it has to be seen that all the factors linked together to create the conditions, which led to the Cold War. However, it has to be concluded that the main reason and cause behind the Cold War was the differing ideological differences between the two main rival countries. Although ‘there were many reasons for the post-1945 Cold War, underpinning them all was the fundamentally opposed political beliefs of the western allies and the Soviet Union’.
References.
Books:
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Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration and the Cold War
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Jeremy Isaacs and Taylor Downing, Cold War
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Martin McCauley, The Origins of the Cold War
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Charles E. Bohlen, Witness to History 1929-69
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Michael Lynch, Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-64
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Georgii Konstaninovich Zhukov, The memoirs of Marshall Zhukov
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C. B. Jones, The Cold War
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Dr. J Pimlott and I. Mather, Conflict in the 20th Century: The Cold War
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Peter J. Mooney and Colin Brown, Cold War to Détente 1945-80
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Tindall and Shi, America: A narrative History
Websites:
Dr. J Pimlott and I. Mather, Conflict in the 20th Century: The Cold War p.38
C.B. Jones, The Cold War p.4
Tindall and Shi, America: A narrative History p.1020
Michael Lynch, Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-64 p.96
Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration and the Cold War p.102
Truman’s Speech, quoted in Jeremy Isaacs and Taylor Downing, Cold War, p.44
Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration and the Cold War p.158
Martin McCauley, The Origins of the Cold War p. 124
Charles E. Bohlen, Witness to History 1929-69 p.248
C. B. Jones, The Cold War, p. 12-13
Georgii Konstaninovich Zhukov, The memoirs of Marshall Zhukov p.675
C. B. Jones, The Cold War, p.11
Peter J. Mooney and Colin Brown, Cold War to Détente 1945-80 p.8
Jeremy Isaacs and Taylor Downing, Cold War, p.19
Jeremy Isaacs and Taylor Downing, Cold War, p.19
Georgii Konstaninovich Zhukov, The memoirs of Marshall Zhukov p.675
C. B. Jones, The Cold War p.2
Dr. J Pimlott and I. Mather, Conflict in the 20th Century: The Cold War p.21
