Thursday 14th April 2016
0 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. Many believe the American President Truman was trying to dictate his power to Stalin and the Soviet Union to try and persuade them to relax their grip on Eastern Europe. However, Stalin took a different approach and instructed his diplomats to take a tougher position against the west, increasing the friction. Another way in which America contributed was the Truman Doctrine. Truman made it clear in 1947 that he had the aim of stopping the spread of communism, a policy of containment. 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.
