Cold War Dbq

The Cold War was a conflict between the United States and Russia that began after the conclusion of World War II. Since the birth of the first communist country in the Russian Revolution, Americans were suspicious of the foreign Soviet nation. This tension continued into and after the Second World War despite the fact that both nations fought on the same side. During the war, there were disagreements and miscommunications during conferences that led to misinterpretations of accords. The United States established foreign policies in response to Soviet expansion. To first understand the origins of the Cold War, one must examine the Russian Revolution.

Even before World War Two there were tensions between the United States and Russia. The Russian Revolution was a violent affair, and as a consequence Americans associated extremism with communism. To Americans, the Bolshevik cause posed radical threats to Western Governments. Following World War I, a combination of terrorist strikes in the United States and the establishment of Russia’s Communist International started an era known as the Red Scare. Following the Red Scare came the

Great Depression, in which the Russians were quick to blame American capitalism for the collapse of the economy. Several parties formed in the United States, including the Popular Front, which presented itself as an American party but was in fact controlled by the Russians. However, these organizations were met by anti-radicals. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” relief plan came under scrutiny among conservatives in the administration.
Aside from historic eras, there was still a strong suspicion of communist governments.

Vladimir Lenin, a Russian revolutionary and first leader of the Soviet Union, had gained a reputation for exercising harsh discipline on his own people. His successor, Joseph Stalin, was no better in the eyes of the American people. Stalin was faced with comments such as those from future president Truman who said that the United States should simply allow the Russians and Nazis to kill each other and not commit to joining the war too early. When the United States joined World War II and declared itself part of the Allies, it seemed impossible for the two superpowers to work together with such conflicting ideologies. American media had to change the public Russian image to remind the people that “Uncle Joe” (what Americans called Stalin) was on their

side.
Even after the United States entered the War, there was still conflict with the Russians even though they were Allies against the Axis. In meetings between Roosevelt, Stalin, and Winston Churchill, there were several disagreements over war strategies and land disputes. In the first meeting in Tehran, Stalin demanded that the western front to open up as to alleviate pressure on his armies in the east. Roosevelt made Stalin agree to send aid to the Pacific front once the hostilities in Europe ended before promising to open a second front in the west. During the Tehran Conference, Roosevelt had promised Stalin some territory in the Pacific for their aid. There was an additional agreement for Russia to expand its border westward into Poland, but there was dispute over what type of postwar government would be established. The Soviets wanted Poland to become a satellite state while Roosevelt wanted it to remain independent. The Conference ended without a resolution over Poland.
One of the biggest sources of conflict was the question of territory. The United States worked with England to liberate North Africa and Italy, but did not include Russia in their plans. While these battles, including the invasion of Normandy, were key for the Allies victory, they demonstrated that the United States was still not willing to trust Russia. The Russians certainly gave cause for suspicion too. Roosevelt agreed to let Stalin annex historically Russian Poland, but wanted non-annexed Poland to maintain independent government. However the Russian forces in Poland established a pro-communist government after liberating it.
The United States also worked on secret projects without consulting Russia, most notably the atomic bomb. The A-bomb was originally intended to be used against Germany during World War II, but as the Allies victory became more inevitable it became clear that the bomb would not be needed before Germany’s surrender. Part of Truman’s decision to drop them on Japan, while mostly influenced by the potential to save the lives of American soldiers, was also intended on sending a message to Russia. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki showcased American strength. Furthermore, it was meant to end the war in the Far East before the Russian forces could arrive and establish another communist regime. This decision was made in mind that the Soviet Union was already promised some land in the Pacific in the Yalta Conference. The land was meant to compensate them for their losses in the Russo-Japanese war.
Similar to Poland, a decision was not reached between the Soviet Union and the United States about what to do with postwar Germany. Stalin wanted to impose heavy reparations on Germany, while Roosevelt wanted to reunify and aid them with economic reconstruction. At the end of the war, it was decided that Germany would be split between the United States, the Soviet Union, France, and England. Berlin was likewise split into four zones because of its significance as the country’s capital. Although each nation’s leader had left the Yalta Conference believing that they had come to an agreement, the accords were more like a set of loose principals that were interpreted differently by both Stalin and Roosevelt. The Soviet’s interpretation led to a systematic establishment of pro-soviet governments, alarming Roosevelt and his untimely death.
As the War was coming to a close there were two post war visions. The first, which appealed to capitalist Americans, envisioned a world in which nations abandoned their traditional beliefs in international alliances and remote colonies and were arbitrated by an international organization that would oversee these countries through democratic processes. The other vision, preferred by the communist Russians, resembled traditional European balance of power, in which the great powers would control areas of strategic interest to them. The United States feared that the Soviet Union would create satellite states, and ironically set up their own. The coming Cold War was a conflict of ideologies that America would not fight alone. The Russians had already claimed territories in Eastern Europe as well as parts of Germany which would later become under communist control as East Germany. Truman considered Germany as a key point and in 1948 merged the American zone with the French and English into a new West German Republic. Stalin responded by placing a blockade around the non-Soviet sectors of Berlin. His hope was that the West German Republic would abandon Berlin, as Germany was supposed to be divided. Instead of responding with force, Truman ordered supplies to be airlifted to supply the city over the next ten months. In the following October, Berlin was officially split into East and West Berlin.
After Roosevelt’s death, Vice President Henry Truman stepped into office. He was warier than his predecessor about the communist threat. He created Containment Policy; a means to prevent Soviet expansionism. His foreign policy fell under his doctrine that the United States must respond to the Soviet Union in “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities and outside pressures. The Containment Policy was a means to prevent communism from spreading beyond Russia. The details of the plan included aiding foreign countries in hopes that capitalism would hold a stronger appeal. One of the major parts of the plan was to help Western Europe rebuild its economy. The Marshall Plan would aid Western European countries that were pro-American. The plan successfully drew in sixteen western nations, but was rejected by Russia and its satellite states. The Containment Policy was met with mixed reviews by Americans. Some thought that it was too aggressive and that peace could be achieved, while others believed that it was too weak. There were even some in government who also opposed the Containment Policy, such as John F. Dulles. Robert Welch, the leader of the John Birch Society, presented his argument that the government was in cahoots with the Soviet Union in The Blue Book of the John Birch Society. While others considered the Birth Society as extreme, it was popular opinion that communism was the greatest threat to America. Despite the opposition to the Containment Policy, the fear of starting another war was too great.
Following the Berlin Airlift in 1949, 12 countries consisting of Western European countries and the United States formed an alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. The purpose of the alliance was to declare military support for one another. If one of these countries was attacked, then it was considered an attack against all of them. Most importantly, the NATO countries stood as a military force in Europe to oppose against the Soviet Union if needed. The establishment of NATO triggered Russia to create their own alliance with European communist countries in 1955 known as the Warsaw Pact. These events are further incidents of escalation between America and Russia.