Could the Cold War have

been avoided?

Primary Postwar Objectives/Goals:

Soviet Union
Reconstruct economy
Self defense, esp. from Germany - to
ensure they would not be surrounded by
hostile nations creation of buffer
zone
Military competition to remain on par
with US

United States
Support free trade and international
economic institutions such as the IMF
and World Bank (to secure capitalism and
open markets for US goods)
Contain communism in pursuit of above
goal by supporting groups opposed to
communism
Deterring nuclear war through policy of
MAD

Three Interpretations of the Cold War

Orthodox: Soviet aggression/expansionism/broken promises were
responsible for Cold War ; Necessary to contain communism and
prevent it from spreading to other parts of the world
Revisionist: US aggressive military power/aid/dominance led to
attempts to shape the world based on US principles (extension of Open
Door Policy); Soviets were too weak after WWII to pursue aggressive
expansionism; US aggressive behavior pushed Soviets to seek iron rule
in buffer zone
Realist/Post-Revisionist: Cold War can be explained by the inherent
incompatibility of capitalism and communism; Neither party can be
fully blamed for the events that escalated
The Cold War cannot be understood simply as an American response to Soviet challenge or vice
versa, but rather as an insidious interaction of mutual suspicious blame for which must be shared
by all.
- Gar Alperovitz

From Stettin in the Baltic to

Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron
curtain has descended across
the Continent." - Churchill
(The only way to deal with
Moscow was by) a policy of
firm containment designed to
confront the Russians with
unalterable counterforce at
every point where they show
signs of encroaching upon the
interests of a peaceful and
stable world.
- George Kennan, FP adviser

Containment Policy: Truman Doctrine

It must be the policy of the US to
support free peoples who are resisting
attempted subjugation by armed
minorities or by outside pressures
Articulated after Britain asked for US
help in Greece and Turkey (to
prevent communist influence)
Painted the US as FREE and
Communism as TYRANNICAL
Set precedent for US assistance to
anticommunist regimes throughout
the world AND justified new security
apparatuses (ie. CIA)

Marshall Plan
European Recovery
Program
$13 billion in grants
Rebuild and
develop European
infrastructure
Designed to
prevent communist
uprisings in
vulnerable
nations/create
capitalist allies

Berlin Blockade: 1st

major internl crisis
of Cold War
Soviet Union establishes
blockade of West Berlin
U.S. and allies launch aerial
campaign from 1948-1949
-Drop food and fuel to
citizens
Extremely successful
- Over 200,000 flights
47,000 tons daily
But would lead to increased
focus on security

Increased Security Measures

North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO)
Permanent alliance between U.
S., Canada, and Western
Europe
If one member is attacked, all
treaty nations will defend
Hoped to deter potential Soviet
attack in W Europe
Warsaw Pact
Soviet Unions version of
NATO
Eastern European satellite
nations

Increased Security Measures

National Security Act 1947
Department of Defense (replaced War Department)
NSC - National Security Council (to coordinate foreign
policy in the Cold War)
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency (to employ spies to
gather info on foreign gvts)

Arms Race
US atomic monopoly for 4 years, until 1949
Soviet A-bomb leads Truman to approve development of Hbomb, furthering arms race (theory of MAD)
National Security Council, in a secret report (NSC-68)
recommended quadrupling defense spending (to 20% GNP)
and convince Americans that an arms buildup was imperative

Did the Truman Doctrine go too far?