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24/11/06
Todd Isbister
American History
Culminating Essay
Who Started the Cold War?
Following WWII two superpowers remained the United States and the Soviet
Union. Controversy and economic struggle between the two great nations was inevitable.
Because of the tension between the two nations an arms race emerged and a fear of an
attack persuaded both nations to create powerful weapons that had never been seen
before. The greatest fear during the Cold War was a nuclear war erupting resulting in the
death of millions. Never the less no nuclear weapons were dropped during the cold war
years (1985-1991) and the Cold War ended when the Soviet Union fell apart. The world
would never be the same again. But who’s to blame for the start of the Cold War? By
reviewing issues such as the broken political promises to the nations that the Soviets
Union occupied, the Soviet unions never ending lust for world communism, and the
Berlin Blockade one can see how the Soviet Union made the Cold War an inevitable
event.
One of the first major steps to the start of the cold war that was instigated by the
Soviet Union was the broken political promises to the nations in Europe that were
currently occupied by the Soviets. In Hungary 1945, free elections were held but when
the votes were counted and the Soviets only received 17% of the vote. Because of this
Stalin feared loosing control of these countries and chose to suppress the Hungarian
government as well as other nations in Eastern Europe. Not only was the promise to there
own government broken but also when their governments were suppressed these
“Satellite nations” were arguably no longer free. Later on elections were supervised by
Soviet troops and because of this at the election in Poland the Soviets received 90% of
the vote. This heightened controversy between the U.S and the Soviet Union because the
fear of communism spreading throughout Europe was now a reality. And with
communism creeping closer and closer to Great Britain president Churchill of Britain
began to worry as well. One can see this fear met with controversy when Churchill made
his famous Iron Curtain speech and further went on to say that is should be met by force
if necessary because the Soviets in his mind had no respect for weakness. President
Truman now feared that a quick defeat over the Soviet Union was the only plan if the
spread of communism continued. With all the excitement generated from the suppression
of governments in Eastern Europe one can see how the Soviet Unions broken political
promises pushed the conflict towards the Cold war. If it wasn’t for Stalin overthrowing
the governments of countries in Western Europe the United States and Britain would not
have seen the spread of communism east as a threat of world communism, and issues
such as the “Iron Curtain” wouldn’t have existed.
The second major factor that pushed these great nations to the Cold War was the
Soviet’s strong beliefs in World Communism. At that time Stalin as the leader of the
Soviet Union believed very strongly in communism and believed that Nations that were
lead by communism were more stable and controlled. However communism was not
believed to be the best answer for all nations especially United States and Great Britain
who strongly believed in a free democratic society. The clash between the two opinions
was very strong at this time. Stalin’s belief in communism was more evident then ever
after various governments in the east were suppressed when the soviets political parties
did not win over the various nations. Now with communism all through the west and the
fear of it moving east closer to Britain, tension rose as Truman and Churchill started to
see how it had quickly taken over neighboring nations and now believed more than ever
that it would take over all of Europe if no action was taken. If it wasn’t for the Soviet
Union acting out on there belief that communism should be the way of all of Europe and
perhaps the world the United States would have never seen the spread of communism as
a threat and tension between the Soviet Union and the United States would have never
seen its braking point.
The third and perhaps final straw when it came down to the eruption of the Cold
War was the Soviet Unions creation of the Berlin Blockade. The Soviet Union introduced
the Berlin Blockade which was an immediate threat to the airlifted humanitarian
provisions sent by America and Britain which at the time was the lifeline preventing
communism into turkey and Greece, the only non communist countries in Western
Europe. Great Britain was in financial trouble and decided to pull the soldiers out from
Greece and ended the aid to Turkey. U.S diplomats warned the United States that this
could lead to communist takeover being that Greece and Turkey were the only noncommunist countries in the east. Because of this the Truman Doctrine was immediately
put into action and passed by congress and economic aid was sent to Greece and Turkey.
Do to the fact that the United States knew that Turkey and Greece was the last stand of
democracy in eastern Europe it was defining blow when the blockade was put in place
severing there ties with the two nations. This was one of the first overtly offensive actions
that was put in place by the Soviet Union proving that they had no interest in the United
States ties with Turkey and Greece. For Obvious reasons the United States and Britain
were elated by the fact that they could not reach out to the last post of democracy in
Eastern Europe. The Berlin Blockade was a major threat to the non-communist nation
that the United States supported. If the Berlin Blockade wasn’t put in place Greece and
Turkey would have been able to hold there own and stop the spread of communism,
which is turn, wouldn’t have heightened tensions which resulted in the heated Cold War.
As one can see the start of the Cold War was directly affected by the Soviets
broken political promises to Eastern Europe, their belief in world communism and the
creation of the Berlin Blockade. After the Cold war only one superpower remained, the
United States. If the discussed events never happened would the Cold War have been as
big as it was? Or perhaps, it wouldn’t have started at all. If that were true how would the
world be different today and where would the United States stand in the world
politically? By reviewing events such as the broken political promises to the nations that
the soviets occupied, the Soviet Union never ending goal of world communism and the
Berlin Blockade one has seen how the Soviet Union started the Cold war. With the Cold
War having such a major effect on our world today it is always important to discuss how
it all happened but most importantly remember the mistakes made to further help pursue
a better world for tomorrow.