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Cold War Causes (Ideological (Bolshevik Revolution 1917 (Marxist-Leninism,…
Cold War Causes
Ideological
Bolshevik Revolution 1917
Marxist-Leninism
Advocated world spread of communism
Influenced foreign policy and international relations
Posed a threat to ruling regimes in the rest of Europe
Western interference: helped the Whites
Perceived by Stalin as an invasion
Wilsonian Liberalism
14 Points: ideological framework for international relations
Self-determination
Attacked small groups (Bolsheviks) seizing power
Open markets
Communism was hostile to capitalist economic development
Collective security
Perceived by Bolsheviks as a mechanism of world capitalism to preserve status quo
Two widely differing models of international relations: hostile
Defensive actions of each side perceived as offensive by the other
Long Telegram: Soviets perceived as expansionary
Churchill's Iron Curtain speech following salami tactics
Novikov thought US were "economic imperialists"
Political
Power vacuum in Europe after WW2
US and USSR leading world powers in 1945
US kept a "peacetime" army in Europe
Leaders distrustful and suspecious
Truman took a hardline approach
Personalities representative of their respective systems
Atomic bomb
Truman did not inform Stalin of their weapon: perceived as an attack
Led to two superpowers with atomic weapons
Tehren, Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
Divided Germany
Stalin wanted to oppress Germany (feared another invasion)
UK and US wanted to rebuild Germany (for economic and political reasons)
Berlin also in four zones of occupation
Disagreement/interpretation of Declaration for Liberated Europe
Stalin had military control over Eastern Europe
Salami tactics allowed Stalin to gain support with National Front governments
Believed actions based on spheres of influence
Truman hated Percentages Agreement
Issue over Poland
Truman Doctrine
US interferes in Greek civil war
Massive turning point in US foreign policy
Led to Marshal Plan
Historiography interpretations
Orthodox
Attributes blame to Stalin's foreign policy
Tried to establish a communist Poland
Communist governments established in other countries by 1948
Chinese Revolution and Korean War saw communism spread more
Soviet expulsion of over 5million Germans living in areas which would become Poland
Perceived by the West as Soviet consolidation in Eastern Europe
Berlin Bloackade seen as expansionist: attack on West Berlin
Stalin's threats were "more shadow than substance" but were enough to frighten the West and result in confrontation
Revisionist
Truman lacked confidence and hard line approach
Actions were unnecessarily provocative
Atomic bomb
Change in foreign policy caused Soviets to enact defensive responses to US actions
Truman Doctrine ended any attempts at cooperation
Yergin: Riga Axioms and Long Telegram influenced information sent to the US about the USSR
US wanted to limit spread of communism
US economic pressures pushed towards confrontation
Marshall Plan perceived by Soviets as "capitalist interference"
Fear of communism in society and industry
Post-revisionist
Cautious to assign blame
Power vacuum decreased both US and USSR security
Product of misjudgements from both governments
Failed to make their goals explicit
Became a viscious sycle
Economic
Marshall Aid
Worried about communism threat in a devastated Europe
Increased after Czech Crisis 1948
Aid available to any country
Although they had to open up records and agree to free trade measures
Stalin considered this "dollar imperialism"
Cominform and Comecon created
Influence on Germany
Western zones prospered (including Berlin) while eastern zones suffered
US FR and UK combined zones without telling Stalin
Intensified divisions
Led to Berlin Airlift and NATO
Later shifted to military aid
Berlin Air Lift
1948 new Deutschmark in West DE and Berlin
Stalin not informed
Stalin's reaction: used Red Army to block all access into West Berlin
Hoped the West would give up and cause West Berlin to be dependent on USSR
Created an airlift to supply West Berlin
Lasted 10 months
Stalin withdrew blockade May 1949
Result: created North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Showed war was a possibility
US in military peacetime alliance: military aid
Stalin intensified spy network and scientific research