Cold War Dbq

The policies that Soviet Union established before Cold War during 1945 that took place, could have been in depth a key factor to the development of the Cold War. Still, remains a concern because their are not necessarily one reason to what led to the Cold War. For example, most historians believe the cause of the Cold War was at the meeting of the Yalta Conference with the leaders to set the postwar structure of World War 2. Studies show that both the United States and Soviet Union were in a competition to become the only superpower country after WW2. “Eager to consolidate influence over a number of countries near the Soviet Union, Stalin pursued aggressive policies after World War II that provoked strong Western reaction.” (Raymond Zickel). Zickel perspective which signifies that Soviet policies were aggressive, and not just any policies passed. With that in mind, Stalin’s strive to achieve his country to be the only superpower had consequences. Stalin thought that by taking control of Eastern-Europe

would ultimately gain fear from other countries. “We are guided not by emotions, but by reason, analysis, and calculation. —Stalin, January 9, 1945” ( Zubok p. 1 ).
Prior to it beginning
Winston Churchill, prime minister of Great Britain, and Franklin D.

Roosevelt, president of the U.S., had agreed the Soviets would be given more than one third of Poland’s territory postwar of WW2 ( Ensor). Churchill and Roosevelt let the occupation of East Germany be taken by USSR. As a result, Soviets greedy to occupy more land, demanded on occupying Eastern European

countries.

During 1943-1945, Soviet Union was expanding the Red Army into their Eastern allies. In doing so, the Red Army and East European countries fought together and became a threat to the Western countries. Ultimately, in 1943, Soviets began to arm and increase the number of soldiers in the Red Army. “The Soviet Union gave its most important occupation forces a garrison status when it established the Northern Group of Forces (NGF) in 1947 and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) in 1949. By 1949 the Soviet Union had concluded twenty-year bilateral treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. These treaties prohibited the East European regimes from entering into relations with states hostile to the Soviet Union, officially made these countries Soviet allies, and granted the Soviet Union rights to a continued military presence on their territory” (Warsaw Pact). In occupying the states, Soviet Union sought to liberate the countries to gain trust within the USSR. “The USSR also offered an ideological, economic and social model to extend in Europe” (Deschamps). With the help of the armed forces being deployed from USSR to Eastern European countries, they were able to making decisions to modernize East Europe. Obviously, forces were feared and let Soviet Union control the key positions in their government (Deschamps). The Red Army, armed forces of USSR after 1946, aided the Soviet Union when having to enforce laws. “By 1948 seven East European countries had communist governments”(Zickel). In that case, Red Army was gradually demonstrating their capabilities of the Soviet Union. In spite of Soviet Union taking control over Eastern Europe and intending to implement a Communist government throughout these countries, Soviet found themselves within a mistrustful situation.The movement that was happening were becoming public and letting outsiders know the boundaries. With the news of what USSR was advancing, countries in the west like the U.S. and Great britain, were obligated to attempt a warning to the USSR for their suspicious actions. Thus, they were developing “detrimental impact on Soviet relations with the leading Western countries” (Kramer p.1). Stalin, was willing to give up the alliance with Western Countries, in order for achieving rule in the Eastern Europe countries.
In the first place at the Yalta Conference, U.S. distrusted the Soviet Union for not allowing democracy across the Eastern Europe. The U.S. feared that if Soviet Union occupied communism in all Eastern Europe, but the Soviet Union also feared that U.S would occupy all west europe with democracy and later on interfere by spreading democracy.
Before the Soviet Union established the Warsaw Pact in 1955, Soviets had already created an alliance system with Eastern Europe as these countries seeked security interests ( Warsaw Pact). In the attempt of allying with Eastern Europe, the point was in creating a buffer zone for defense against the West. Soviet Union originated the Warsaw Pact, mutual assistance with Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria, the U.S. automatically accepted the organization as a threat and created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO involved the North American democracy and European countries. Not only that, but U.S. and its West allies were willing to act back and integrate West Germany and into NATO ( Warsaw Pact). Indeed, “this posture led to a series of U.S. and British concessions on Eastern Europe starting at the December 1943 Tehran Conference, where British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt acquiesced in Stalin’s demands for an East-West division of military operations in Europe and a shift in the postwar Soviet-Polish border back to the Curzon Line ( Kramer p. 2). Generally speaking, the U.S. and Great britain were being concerned with Stalin’s actions. However, being concerned with the actions, U.S. and Great Britain did not actually made a response with action. Another example, “after the war, disputes between the Soviet Union and the Western democracies, particularly over the Soviet takeover of East European states, led Winston Churchill to warn in 1946 that an “iron curtain” was descending through the middle of Europe,” where Churchill just warned in his speech of ‘Iron Curtain’ at Fulton, Missouri (Loc.Gov). Churchill also warned that Soviets were in route to consolidate and keep on the uprising of power in countries.
“Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War.

The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin,” The act of Soviet Union did not stand alone. Right after U.S. Great Britain aided berlin through airlifts. USSR policies were being absolutely into consideration by the West. Therefore, their would create complications if USSR continued demanding

policies.
Post war to the Cold War, Soviet Union and the United States stayed far apart during the next three decades for superpower conflict and the nuclear and missile arms race. Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in summit meetings and the signing of strategic arms limitation agreements (Loc.gov).

In essence, the policies of the Soviet Union during 1945 to 1949 did lead to the outbreak of the development of the Cold War. Consolidating power in other countries absolutely would fear other countries that can stop the expansion. In other words, USSR idea that by expanding communism throughout Eastern Europe, result in expanding in the West. I think it is possible to read from different perspectives and at the end provide a new interpretation. Overall, most historical perspectives are basically perception and how people think on why Cold War really occurred.