Truman & Cold War
Using the sources and your own knowledge, assess to the extent to which the policies and attitudes of President Truman helped cause the Cold War. The impact of the Second World War can be seen as the earliest cause of the Cold War. Germany and Japan had been defeated and had suffered considerable economic damage. France and Italy had also suffered economically and The British empire was in rapid decline as a world power. This left two superpowers; The US and The USSR, both with ideological differences. What occurred in Eastern Europe certainly contributed to the causes of the Cold War. The Soviets had agreed to have free and fair elections run in East Europe, however they rigged the elections so they could set up friendly communist states on their border. This became known as the buffer zone, as Stalin wanted to protect the USSR from invasion. Truman was not at all pleased by this as Stalin had broken his promise. Source B is a speech by Winston Churchill and he describes the split between the East and West as the 'Iron Curtain'. Source B goes on to explain that the Soviets are unpredictable and gives the impression that the USSR want world domination. The atomic bomb is another reason for the cause of the cold war. The USSR were meant to be an ally of the US, however the USSR felt that they could not trust the US anymore as Truman did not want to share the new technology
The Causes of the Cold War.
THE CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR The Cold War is the name given to the period from 1945 to 1991 when a high level of distrust existed between two superpowers, the USA and the USSR (otherwise called the Soviet Union). The cold war dominated world events because each of the two superpowers tried to influence the world in ways that suited its own interests. These interests were based on very different ideas about the organisation of society, which led to each side fearing the other. The Cold War led to a series of conflicts in different parts of the word where the two superpowers found themselves in confrontation. In some of these situations, the state of mutual fear led to a dangerous level of tension because each superpower possessed many nuclear weapons. Despite tensions reaching a significantly heightened level, the conflict never developed into a state of direct-armed war between the USA and USSR. Such a direct war would have been a "hot" war and, because this never happened the opposition of the USA and the USSR continued to be called the Cold War. The Cold War lasted for 45 years and over this time it involved conflicts in more parts of the world than WW2. In central and South America, in Africa and the middle east, real wars caused by the cold war led to the deaths of millions of people. The course of world events was shaped by the Cold War and even after it had ended, the
The End of the Cold War and the Emergence of the Post-Cold War World
The End of the Cold War and the Emergence of the Post-Cold War World Group Report In the summer of 1991, just for a week's time, the existence of a Union, made up of fifteen Socialist Republics, remained only a fact in the history books. This dissolution, however, was not a singular event. The following report will attempt to examine the explicit and implicit causes of Soviet's Union break-up, as well as the confusion and disorder it caused, mainly by clarifying the issues surrounding it. The critical discussion provided will also present a useful insight in the formation of the emerged new World after the Cold War, referred to by historians, as the 'Post-Cold War' world, chiefly taking into consideration Gorbachev's 'novoie myslenie' and the concepts of glasnost and perestroika, plus their fundamental impact on Eastern Europe and even on present-day Russian political system (Bisley, 2004, p.75). By virtue of the long lasted era of stagnation and communist ideological values under Brezhnev's government, at the end of the 1980s, the Soviet state was evidently bleak. Moreover, the ever increasing interference of the party, in practically every aspect of people's life, was becoming to a greater extent detrimental for the effectiveness of the state in the course of the years. As a result, by the time Gorbachev acquired the post of General Secretary in 1985, he had a great
The Origins of the Cold War.
The Origins of the Cold War are widely regarded to lie most directly within the immediate post-Second World War relations between the superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union in the years 1945 - 1947, leading to the developed Cold War that endured until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Both the superpowers contrasted in their views, and their political regimes were totally different. Some historians look back to Lenin's seizure of power in Russia (the Bolshevik Revolution of late 1917) as forming the more extended origins of the Cold War; others, such as Walter LaFeber, go back to the 1890s, when the U.S. and Tsarist Russia became political and economic rivals in Manchuria. From 1933 to 1940 the United States and the Soviet Union had a sort of detente, but relations were not friendly. After the USSR and Germany became belligerents in 1941, Roosevelt made a personal commitment to help the Soviets (Congress never voted any sort of alliance). The wartime cooperation was never friendly, and it became increasingly strained by February 1945 at the Yalta Conference, as it became increasingly clear that Stalin intended to spread communism to Russia's neighbouring countries (of which he succeded and of which lead to the birth of Cominform) and then, to spread communism throughout Western Europe. [edit] Escalation and Crisis Two opposing geopolitical blocs had
Causes of the Cold War
Causes of the Cold War The cold war was a direct result of many causes. The leaders of the world could not agree on very much and lead the world into the cold war. During the second world war, Britain, France, USA and the Soviet Union had all been allies, fighting against Germany. After World War Two, Britain, France and the Usa had become enemies of the Soviets. The Cold War was caused by several events. The first of the nine events was the yalta conference. The yalta conference was held on 4th February through the 11th 1945. The main discussion was the future of poland, it was decided that poland would be divided and much of the eastern sector was given to the Soviets and the western sector was given to Germany. It was also decided at Yalta that Germany would be divided into four zones: British, French, USA's, and Soviet. In turn, Berlin, Germany's capital, would also be divided into the same zones.other decisions made were that east european countries would hold free elections and the new organization that would replace the League of Nation would be the United Nations. Following the Yalta Conference was the meeting at Potsdam. At Potsdam two of the 'Big Three' were not present, as they had changed. President Roosevelt had died on April 12th 1945, and was replaced by president Harry Truman. Also, Churchill had lost the general election, and was replace by Clement
The End of the Cold War.
The End of the Cold War By Joumanna Nasr ID no: 200401736 An essay submitted in fulfillment of PSPA 213's course requirements October 26, 2003 Never before has so terrible a threat hung over mankind as now. The only reasonable way out of the existing situation is the reaching of an agreement by the opposing forces on the immediate termination of the arms race, the nuclear arms race on earth and the prevention of arms in space. We need an agreement on an honest and equitable basis without attempts at "outplaying" the other side and dictating terms to it. We need an agreement which would help all to advance toward the cherished goal: the complete elimination and prohibition of nuclear weapons for all time, toward the complete removal of the threat of nuclear war. This is our firm conviction. -Mikhail Gorbachev, March 11, 1985 The End of the Cold War The beginning of the nineties marked the end of a bipolar global system that had spanned over 40 years- one that had started at the end of World War II when the post-war Yalta Conference laid the foundation for the ongoing divide in ideologies between a Capitalist West represented by the United Sates, and a Communist East, represented by the U.S.S.R- a multi-ethnic state, composed of fifteen republics that were held together by extremely powerful central authority exercised by a Communist Russia. It is necessary to note
Cold War Interview
Cold War Interview . Describe what life was like during the cold war During the Cold War I didn't feel any fear whatsoever as I was confident that the United States was the superior superpower of the two. However, we were concerned about the potential threat of nuclear war and constructed bomb shelters due to the uncertainty of the situation. Our school, from time to time, would conduct air raid drills where we would have to get into bunkers to protect ourselves from nuclear fallout if nuclear war were to ever occur. Many major buildings also had fallouts shelters with instructions on how to get to them and how many people they could hold. However eventually, concerning the fallout shelters, most people didn't take them too seriously since there never was an actual incident of nuclear attacks on the USA. 2. Were scared at any point that there would be nuclear war breaking out? The widespread feeling of fear of nuclear war was at its peak during the Cuban Missile Crisis, everyone felt that due to the close proximity of the missile sites in Cuba it just escalated the whole situation and nearly brought on nuclear war between the USA and the Soviet Union. However in contrast, I felt very proud of President Kennedy's hard line attitude towards the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis because I believed that we should retaliate if they refuse to back down. 3.
In what ways is the post-Cold War international order different from the Cold War international order?
In what ways is the post-Cold War international order different from the Cold War international order? The fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 is viewed by many to be the most important and defining political moment in political history since the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. There can be no doubt that there have been major structural changes in world politics since the death of the Soviet Union. Its successor states generally chose a pro-western, democratic and capitalistic political direction over that of their former communist system. The argument then follows that this is indicative of the new world order's major difference from that of the old cold war order, as it symbolises the transformation from the bipolar old world order split between two super powers and their ideologies, to that of the new world order in which we see a world becoming united behind a new single liberal ideology led by the USA. Hence, the USA with their ascension to the role of single world super power has become the leader of the new world order, and sees its role as bringing countries into a new liberal regime. As demonstrated in former president George Bushes state of the union address in 1991 "It is a big idea: a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve universal aspirations of mankind, peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law."1 These
Origins of the Cold War.
Chapter 29 Cold War Salil Shah Per 3 I. Origins of the Cold War A. Sources of American Soviet Tension Had difference in view of post war world. US supported the view in which nations gave up traditional military alliances, and dealt with each other in a democratic process, with an international org. as mediator. Britain and Soviets favored view where system of traditional European balance of powers would reemerge. B. War time Diplomacy By Jan 1943 a strain in relations with soviets was evident as Stalin refused to meet with Churchill and Roosevelt. The 2 refused Stalins'most immediate demand to have a 2 european fronts, but assured him that they would have unconditional surrender of Axis powers and they would not leave soviets out of peace negotiations. In Teharan Conference relations between Stalin and Roosevelt became better as Stalin agreed to enter Pacific once hotstilities in Europe died down, and US agreed to 2 front western war. However there was tension on who would lead Poland once war was over. They avoided the issue by leaving it unresolved. C. Yalta In Feb. 1945the big three met in Soviet Union. Stalin was promised some territory lost in Jap Soviet war of 1904, in pacific. Also agreed to UN charter with a security council, with members from 5 major powers. Issue of Polish government was compromised. Soviets had occupied Poland and installed the pro
Why did the Cold War End?
Why did the Cold War End? Tauseef Ahmed United States History May 13th 2004 Why did the Cold War End? One of the main events of the war-filled twentieth century was the Cold War - a state of tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union from nineteen forty five, at the beginning of the Soviet expansion of communism in newly formed countries after Word War II, opposed by the United States to nineteen eighty nine with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The main focus of this research will be to state the reasons as to why this hugely acknowledged war comes to an end. It was the most unexpected event that happened and the credit must be given to the leaders on both sides. The Cold War eventually came to an end in 1989 as a result of Gorbachev's Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (reconstruction) policies; the Soviet's declining communist economy, the costly arms race, and the freedom issues among Baltic Republics, Poland, and East Germany within the Soviet bloc itself. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Soviet Union in 1985, he was determined to end corruption in the Soviet economy and get the U.S.S.R. back on its feet. To achieve this goal he announced two new policies Glasnost and Perestroika. Glasnost or openness was the policy that ended the strict censorship, allowed Soviet citizens to speak openly about their society's problems
