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Which side was more to blame for causing the Cold War (USSR Faults (Berlin…
Which side was more to blame for causing the Cold War
USSR Faults
Comecon (1949): A council for mutual economic aid, ensuring that every satellite nation was obedient to the communist/socialist economic ideology
Cominform (1947): An organization to co-ordinate the communist governments in order to make sure that they all followed the same ideology as Soviet Russia
Berlin Blockade
Leads to formation of West and East Germany
Stalin tries to assert dominance over the West and Germany due to his fear of East Germans defecting to the capitalists' side
Use of Language (Stalin)
The Soviet leader frequently used controversial/ideological language when either condemning the West or justifying his actions.
Personality
Stalin's confrontational approach towards relations with the West could be due to his previous experiences (Western intervention during Russian Civil War, deliberate D-Day delay speculation, general political isolation, etc)
Stalin did not abide by the terms agreed at Yalta and Potsdam, beginning to implement communist systems across Eastern Europe, along with relentless oppression towards political opposition (puppet states in Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia (although Yugoslavia dips in 1948)
USA Faults
Truman Doctrine
USA tries to actively challenge communism in Europe- Stalin not happy
Marshall Aid
gave $$$ to rebuild Europe and prevent people wanting Communism as an alternative - made Stalin suspicious
Supporting loyalists during Greek Civil War
BUT hates on Stalin for creating communist government in Poland
Formation of NATO
Threatned the USSR with a military alliance- Stalin backed into a corner.
Testing the atom bomb
Truman intimidates Stalin by telling him the Americans have a nuclear bomb
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are destroyed -Soviets feel agitated
Soviets develop an atom bomb of their own- Cold War arms race begins
Not USA fault
Stalin's attitude towards democratic ideas
USA was afraid the Soviets would try to dominate Europe
Stalin had shown his willingness to violate wartime agreements- eg. Soviet occupation of Poland
Truman Doctrine
American response to communist expansion in Eastern Europe (The view towards communism as a threat to the free world)
Ways it was NOT the USSR's fault
Deliberate ostracism from the West
Stalin believed the West had a bias against Russia for its ideology (Britain's refusal to share details German enigma codes, belief that the Allies delayed their involvement in the European Theatre in order to weaken the Soviets, USA keeping details of the Manhattan Project a secret.)
Political tide shifts
Initially, US president Roosevelt maintained good relations with Stalin (understanding his concerns). However, his successor, Truman, took up a more hardline approach, even attempting to intimidate Stalin with nuclear weapons and ending the lend-lease loans to the Soviet Union
WW2 Recovery
Compared to the West, the Soviet Union suffered significantly greater during WW2 (20 million total Soviet casualties while total American casualties were 0.5 million. Furthermore, Russian cities such as Stalingrad and Leningrad enduring horrific sieges by the German offensive). As a result, Stalin became worried over a future remilitarised Germany that might seek to expand east-ward, thus was reasonable to form a cabal of nations to aid in Soviet recovery
Breaking agreement terms
Breaking agreement terms