As the Soviets took the offensive in Europe and political disputes began to divide the Allies, a number of Roosevelt's advisers questioned with increasing vigour the unconditional aid policy. By late 1944 the Russian military position was no longer desperate, and the Soviets seemed to be exploiting American generosity. They had ordered much equipment which they could not use and which reportedly had been wasted. They had requested vast quantities of industrial equipment which could not be made operational before the end of the war, and were giving or selling to other countries American supplies or items similar to those received under lend-lease in order to boost their own political influence in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This helped cause the distrust between the USA and USSR which ultimately led to the start of the Cold War.
The revisionist school of thought lays much more accountability for the Cold War at the USA and her allies door. There was nothing inevitable about the start of a Cold War, and both sides acted in a hostile and difficult manner. It is true that the Grand Alliance collapsed after the German surrender, and that relations between the East and West became increasingly fragile, but it was not until the Truman Doctrine in 1947 and the subsequent Marshall Plan was released that relations became so bad that the Cold War looked increasingly likely. It was the increasing alienation of the USSR by the USA and the West that provoked the USSR into what can be perceived as hostile action, as a last ditch attempt to get the USA to the negotiating table. This is characterised by the Berlin Blockade 30th March 1948 to 30th September 1949. After this incident it was almost impossible for the East and West to sit down and negotiate, and with the West Berliners first, and then West Germany as a whole becoming allies to the West, a clear divide had taken shape that was brought about not only through ideology, but also economics and the popular mass vote that separated communist states to the democratic West.
In judgement, although there is no precise date for the start of the Cold War, the foundations are both long and complicated. Arguable the roots can be traced back to February 1917, but more likely they stemmed from the differing viewpoints of the USSR and the West over each other’s actions. The differing views over the USSR’s sphere of influence to protect herself, or to act as a launch pad for Communism was crucial in the cooling of relations, however, it was the Berlin Blockade in 1948-49 that was the turning point from cool relations to Cold War. The fact that the West Berliners had the opportunity to get food and hot water in the east but chose to rely on the air drops instead and endure hunger shows this is where an East-West divide comes so great that the only avenue left was for conflict which manifested itself as the Cold War. Even after the Truman Doctrine (12th March 1947), a Cold War was not inevitable; It is only after the Blockade and the subsequent formation of NATO (4th April 1949) that the Cold War comes into being.
Bibliography
Minutes of the Executive Staff Committee, Office of Lend-Lease Administration, July 13, 1943; Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., memorandum to Dean Acheson, Dec. 27, 1943; Stettinius Memorandum to Cordell Hull, Feb. 22, 1944, Stettinius Papers.
Deane, J. R, 1947. The Strange Alliance: The Story of Our Efforts at Wartime Co-operation with Russia. New York.
Dukes, P. 1989. The Last Great Game: USA Versus USSR, Events, Conjunctures, Structures. Billings & Sons Ltd. Worcester
Fleming. D.F. 1961. The Cold War and its Origins. New York.
Frazier, R. 1984. Did Britain Start the Cold War? Bevin and the Truman Doctrine. The Historical Journal, Vol. 27, No. 3. pp. 715
Judt, T. 2007. Post-war; A History of Europe Since 1945.London. Pimlico.
Morris. E. 1973. Blockade: Berlin and the Cold War. London. Hamilton
McLean, I and McMillan, A. 2003. Concise Dictionary of Politics. Oxford. Oxford University Press
Seabury. P. 1968. Cold War Origins, I. Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 169-182
Thomas, B. 1968. Cold War Origins, II. Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 183-198
Word Count 1000
McLean, I and McMillan, A. 2003. Concise Dictionary of Politics. Oxford. Oxford University Press. pp. 87
Frazier, R. 1984. Did Britain Start the Cold War? Bevin and the Truman Doctrine. The Historical Journal, Vol. 27, No. 3. pp. 715
Dukes, P. 1989. The Last Great Game: USA Versus USSR, Events, Conjunctures, Structures. Billings & Sons Ltd. Worcester P.13
Minutes of the Executive Staff Committee, Office of Lend-Lease Administration, July 13, 1943; Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., memorandum to Dean Acheson, Dec. 27, 1943; Stettinius Memorandum to Cordell Hull, Feb. 22, 1944, Stettinius Papers.
Deane, J. R, 1947. The Strange Alliance: The Story of Our Efforts at Wartime Co-operation with Russia. New York. pp 96.
Thomas, B. 1968. Cold War Origins, II. Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 185
Judt, T. 2007. Post-war; A History of Europe Since 1945.London. Pimlico. pp 139.
Morris. E. 1973. Blockade: Berlin and the Cold War. London. Hamilton. pp. 156
Fleming. D. F. 1961. The Cold War and its Origins. New York. pp. 56
