The beginning of the Cold War

The term Cold War refers to the period of struggle and conflict between the USA
and USSR between 19!"1991# $ach of the Superpowers saw the other as a threat to
its continued sur%i%al and adopted strategies to preser%e their positions# The two
Superpowers ne%er went to war directl& with each other in this period' but became
in%ol%ed in conflicts such as the (orean War where each side stood behind the other
nations in%ol%ed# Therefore this conflict is termed as the Cold War rather than a
con%entional hot war# There were a number of occasions when it appeared that a hot
war would brea) out between the Superpowers' but than)full& this was a%oided#

Reasons for the brea)down of the wartime alliance b& 19!
The USSR and the USA both *oined the Second World War in 191' the former on
+une ,,
nd
following -itlers .peration /arbarossa and the latter on 0ecember 9
th

following +apans surprise attac) on 1earl -arbour# 2n the long run both attac)s
pro%ed fatal to the aggressor nations3 sleeping giants were awo)en' the A4is powers
were defeated in 19! and a new world order was created# The USSR and the USA
emerged as b& far the most powerful nations from the Second World War# The former
5reat 1owers 6 /ritain' 7rance' 5erman&' 2tal& and +apan 6 were no longer capable of
dominating the rest of the world' onl& the USA and the USSR' the Superpowers'
remained unbro)en#
The USA and the USSR were strange bedfellows during the Second World War# Their
alliance was purel& strategic# The underl&ing differences between the supreme
capitalist nation 8the USA9 and the original communist state 8the USSR9 were bound
to re"emerge once 5erman& and +apan had been defeated# 2t was clear that two states
could no longer ignore each other in a new world of global finance and
communication# /oth were e4tremel& ner%ous of the other nations aims3 worr& led to
fear' fear caused the brea)down of the wartime alliance and turned e%entuall& to
hostilit& and mutual antipath&#
The emergence of ri%alr& between the Superpowers
The USSR was a one part& state dominated b& Stalin# 2ndi%iduals did not ha%e the
choice to choose alternati%e politicians in free elections3 industr& and agriculture was
owned b& the state# 2n the 19:;s' Stalin had transformed the USSR into a modern
industrial state through the 7i%e <ear 1lans' Collecti%isation and the 1urges# The
transformation had come at a huge cost in human life' but a superpower had been
born' capable of defeating =a>i 5erman& and emerging as a world power# The people
of the USSR had e4perienced foreign in%asion in the 7irst World War' during the Ci%il
War 191?"19,1 and the Second World War# Stalin belie%ed that the USAs long"term
ambition was to destro& communism' therefore he adopted policies' which he
belie%ed would pre%ent this from happening#
1
The USA was a democratic state' with free elections' freedom of speech and a
capitalist economic s&stem# 2n the 19:;s the American people had e4perienced the
0epression and a withdrawal from world politics 8isolationism9# The Second World
War helped to regenerate the USAs industries to such an e4tent that peoples
standards of li%ing actuall& went up during the Second World War# The USA emerged
immeasurabl& more powerful from the war with 5erman& and +apan# 2t was clear that
the USA could no longer sit on the sidelines in world politics# -owe%er' the USA was
e4tremel& concerned b& the spread of communism in $astern $urope and the 7ar $ast#
The USA belie%ed that Stalin wanted to con%ert the rest of the world to communism#
The USA had fought the fascist ideologies of 5erman&' 2tal& and +apan' now it was
prepared to fight the communist ideolog& of the USSR#
The beliefs and attitudes of Stalin and Truman
Stalins fear of the USA led him to belie%e that the USSR needed a barrier of territor&
between So%iet territor& and the USAs allies in Western $urope# Stalin feared another
anti"communist in%asion of Russia from $urope as had occurred in 191? and 191#
Stalin wanted to create a barrier against the West' a barrier made up of communist run
countries in $astern $urope# The new president of the USA' -arr& Truman' saw
So%iet domination of $astern $urope not as an act of defence on Stalins part' but as
an act of aggression# Would this communist ta)e"o%er spread to Western $urope too@
The <alta and 1otsdam Conferences
While the war with 5erman& continued' the wartime allies 8USA' USSR and /ritain9
met to discuss the post"war future of $urope# The most significant meetings between
the allied leaders were at <alta in 7ebruar& 19! and 1otsdam in +ul& 19!#
The <alta Conference
Roose%elt' Stalin and Churchill agreed that 5erman& be di%ided into four >ones to be
occupied b& USA' USSR' /ritain and 7rance# 2t was also recognised that Stalin was to
ha%e influence o%er $astern $urope' but that free elections be held in them to decide
who go%erned them# The biggest problem was 1oland# Stalin had liberated 1oland and
a communist go%ernment had been established# Stalin insisted that a friendl&
go%ernment be established there to protect the USSR from 5erman&# Stalin refused to
allow democratic elections in 1oland#
,
The /ig Three at <alta
Winston Churchill
1resident Roose%elt
+oseph Stalin
The 1otsdam Conference
/& the time the allies met again' the situation had changed considerabl&# 5erman& had
been defeated' Roose%elt had died and had been replaced b& Truman and Clement
Attlee had defeated Churchill# The allies agreed to di%ide 5erman& into >ones and to
claim reparations for war losses#
-owe%er' the USA began to realise that it did not want a wea)ened 5erman& in
Central $urope' a perfect breeding ground for communism# Truman wanted to rebuild
5erman&' while Stalin wanted to wea)en it further b& ta)ing eAuipment and materials
as reparations# The pattern for future conflict between the USA and the USSR had
begun#
The deepening of the Cold War 1945-53
So%iet e4pansion into $astern $urope' the 2ron Curtain and
Western reactions
Ad%ancing allied and So%iet forces from the West and $ast defeated =a>i 5erman&#
While American and /ritish forces liberated 7rance' 2tal& and the Bow Countries'
So%iet forces replaced =a>i forces in a string of countries in $astern $urope# The
Americans and the /ritish could do nothing about this while =a>i 5erman& remained
undefeated3 the USSR after all was an all& at this time# 2t was clear' howe%er' that
Stalin was %er& reluctant to relinAuish control of $astern $urope' a So%iet sphere of
influence# 1resident Roose%elt and Winston Churchill did not li)e the So%iet
domination of $astern $urope' but the& needed the USSR as an all& and the& could do
%er& little to pre%ent Stalins militar& anne4ation of this region#
2n 19C Churchill referred to the di%ision of $urope' $ast and West' communist and
capitalist' as the descending of an iron curtain#
There was no real ph&sical barrier' but there was a clear di%ision between the
democratic states of the West and the communist states of the $ast# Dan& in the West
were concerned that Stalin would not stop in $astern $urope' would he now turn to
the West@
:
A shadow has fallen across the scenes so latel&
lighted b& Allied %ictor&# 7rom Stettin in the /altic
to Trieste in the Adriatic' an iron curtain has
descended across the continent#
Churchill' 7ulton' USA' 19C#
The Truman 0octrine and the Darshall 1lan
The Truman 0octrine
-arr& Truman replaced 1resident Roose%elt when he died in April 19!# Truman was
%er& concerned b& the growth of So%iet power# Truman realised that the USA could
no longer continue with its polic& of isolationism# 2f the spread of communism was to
be halted' Truman belie%ed that the USA would ha%e to be much more acti%e in world
affairs# To defend the USA from communism' Truman belie%ed that he would ha%e to
support other countries militaril& and financiall& in order to pre%ent them from
potentiall& becoming communist states# This polic& became )nown as the Truman
0octrine#
The Darshall 1lan
2n 19E it appeared that 5reece and Tur)e& might become communist states# 2n
Darch 19E Truman promised that the USA would help an& countr& threatened b&
communism# The USA would contain So%iet e4pansion# Truman belie%ed that Stalin
had forced the countries of $astern $urope into accepting communist go%ernments3 he
also belie%ed that it was Americas dut& to defend democrac&# Communism was
pre%ented in 5reece and Tur)e&# Truman ga%e F;; million dollars to the two
countries and in return established missile bases in Tur)e&#
Truman was concerned to help $uropean countries reco%er from the war# -e belie%ed
that economicall& strong countries would be unli)el& to turn to communism and
would become ma*or trading partners with the USA# To help $urope rebuild after the
war' the USA ga%e millions of dollars under the Darshall 1lan# A fund of F1! billion
was set aside for $uropean countries to draw on# The idea was to allow countries from
both $ast and West to recei%e Darshall Aid' but Stalin realised that this would ma)e
countries li)e 1oland more dependent upon the USA than the USSR# Stalin
denounced the Darshall 1lan' claiming that it was economic imperialism# Stalin
forced the $astern $uropean countries to withdraw their applications for assistance#
2nstead' these countries had to appl& for help from the Comecon 8Council for Dutual
$conomic Assistance9# This was ne%er %er& effecti%e as the USSR had too little
resources to offer#
2n all' si4teen countries recei%ed Darshall Aid' /ritain and 7rance being the ma*or
recipients# West 5erman& also recei%ed *ust under F1# billion# Stalin was %er& angr&
with this' he did not want a strong 5erman&3 in the $ast he deliberatel& wea)ened the
So%iet >one of 5erman&# 2n the West' Truman wanted to create a powerful buffer
against communism3 he did not want 5erman& to be wea)# /& 19!, most Western
$uropean countries had reco%ered to their pre"war le%els of production# The
communist parties in 7rance and 2tal& lost their support as standards of li%ing rose#

The Darshall 1lan had been %er& effecti%e in pre%enting the spread of communism in
Western $urope and had created economicall& strong democratic allies for the USA#
The Cominform
2n 19E communist leaders from all o%er the world were in%ited to a conference in
Warsaw' where the Communist 2nformation /ureau 8Cominform9 was created# This
was designed to spread communism and to protect states from US aggression# 2n
19?' Stalin ordered Cominform to e4pel Tito' the communist leader of <ugosla%ia'
because he would not gi%e into Stalins wishes# This shows that Stalin wanted total
control of the communist world and would allow no opposition# The USA saw
Cominform as a serious challenge to the West# Relations between the superpowers
deteriorated further#
The post"war di%ision of 5erman& and the /erlin Crisis of
19?"9
The first ma*or crisis of the Cold War was o%er 5erman&# With =a>ism defeated and
5erman& occupied b& the allies' the Auestion of what to do ne4t became an issue
resulting in tension between the superpowers#
As the& had agreed at <alta and 1otsdam' 5erman& was di%ided into four >ones of
occupation# At first relations between the forces were good as all were united in the
belief that =a>ism should be crushed# -owe%er' the USA' /ritain and 7rance saw
Auic)l& that 5erman& would ha%e to be supported economicall& if communism was to
be pre%ented# The allies wanted a strong' democratic all& acting as a buffer against the
communist states of $astern $urope# 2n contrast' Stalin wanted to wea)en 5erman& as
a punishment for the war' to help rebuild the USSR b& stealing 5erman industrial
technolog& and to ma)e communism seem more attracti%e to the 5ermans# These
conflicting policies soon led to a crisis#
/erlin was also di%ided into four >ones' but the cit& as a whole was located in the
So%iet >one of 5erman&# The West depended upon So%iet goodwill to )eep open
routes to the /ritish' 7rench and American >ones of the cit&# /& 19? the Western
>ones of 5erman& were reco%ering and the allies decided to *oin their >ones together#
Stalin was %er& worried b& a resurgent and prosperous 5erman&3 his response in +une
19? was to close all roads' canals and railwa&s leading from the West to West /erlin#
Stalin belie%ed that the West /erliners would be star%ed into submission# Trumans
choices were to gi%e into Stalin and lose face' to go to war o%er the /erlin bloc)ade or
to )eep the West /erliners supplied from the air#
The /erlin airlift was the result# To maintain /erlin o%er ;;; tons of supplies needed
to come in each da&3 b& the spring of 199' ?;;; tons were being supplied dail&#
Stalin realised that the allies would not gi%e in# -e could order allied suppl& planes to
be shot down' but this would ha%e been an act of war# 2n Da& 199 Stalin ended the
bloc)ade of West /erlin# The allies were now determined to build up West /erlin as a
!
showcase for capitalism# Dan& 5ermans from the So%iet >one crossed into West
/erlin#
An& hopes for a united 5erman& had ended# 2n 199 the three Western >ones'
including West /erlin' became the 7ederal Republic of 5erman& 8West 5erman&9'
with its own democraticall& elected go%ernment# The USSR responded b& turning its
>one into the 5erman 0emocratic Republic 8$ast 5erman&9' which had a communist
go%ernment#
The Darshall 1lan and the Truman 0octrine were %er& successful in creating a strong'
democratic Western $urope# After the /erlin crisis of 19?"9' the =orth Atlantic
Treat& .rganisation 8=AT.9 was formed as a militar& alliance of most of the Western
$uropean countries and the USA# All members agreed to go to war if an& one of them
was attac)ed#
Stalin tried to respond to the Darshall 1lan with Comecon and to the Truman 0octrine
with Cominform# When Stalin died in 19!: there was a thaw in relations between
the superpowers' but when West 5erman& *oined =AT. in 19!!' So%iet fears were
re%i%ed# The Warsaw 1act of 19!! was a militar& alliance controlled b& the So%iet
Union made up of all the communist $astern $uropean countries# This was the
USSRs response to =AT.# $urope was now di%ided economicall&' politicall& and
militaril& into two armed gangs of hostile opponents# Would the Cold War turn into
another hot war in $urope@
The building of the /erlin Wall 19C1
2n the 19!;s' West /erlin had gone from strength to strength under the economic aid
of the Darshall 1lan# 2ts success was a magnet for people dissatisfied with communist
life in the $ast# West /erlin was a hue embarrassment to the USSR' an island of
democratic capitalism in a sea of communism# While those in West /erlin en*o&ed
prosperit&' there were few lu4ur& goods in $ast /erlin as well as food shortages and
bad wor)ing conditions# Dan& $ast /erliners defected to the West3 b& 19C1 o%er ,
million $ast 5ermans had crossed into West 5erman&#
2n 19C1 (hrushche% demanded that the West should gi%e up West /erlin# 1resident
(enned& refused# 2n response' (hrushche% ordered a border of machine guns' barbed
wire and concrete to be build along the demarcation line between the two hal%es of
the cit&# The So%iets threatened to )ill an&one who tried to cross the wall# Churchill
had spo)en of an iron curtain descending in 19C3 in 19C1 a real wall had been built
di%iding /erlin in half# (enned& used the building of the /erlin wall as a propaganda
opportunit&G if communism was so great' wh& did the So%iets need to build a wall to
)eep people in@
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