How the Cold War Started Essay

The regular army and the USSR were eitheries during sphere war Two, merely they were non subjective allies. The seeds of hostility in the midst of the ground drags and the USSR began after World War Two, the menstruation that followed is known as the Cold War. The reason for it being called a tatty war is due to the particular that no physical war took identify amid the ii countries. M whatever go badrs fuelled the tension between the USA and USSR, all of which can divide into three categories the weapons guide, easternmostern Europe and ideologies.An fortify race is a competition between nations for superiority in the learning and accumulation of weapons. Historians believe that the fortify race was the most prominent f executeor causing tensions. The significant turning point of the USA and USSRs relationship, and pioneer essence to the arms race, was the bombing of Japan. In August 1945, the USA dropped ii atomic bombs on Japan. Hiroshima and Nagasaki we re destroyed and thousands of multitude died. The bombs were the most powerful weapons invented. The fact that the USA had not informed their ally, the USSR, before dropping the bombs take a leakd suspicion from the USSR. Russia did not break any bombs and this meant that the USA could potentially approach shot the Soviet concretion and they could not do a thing to pr up to nowt it.Adding to the tensions, both the USA and USSR have contradicting views on the reasons behind the bombs. In the USAs perspective, any weapon that would bring an end to war and save a trillion casualties among American boys was justified the A-bomb would be successful says the US depositary of state James Byrne. However, the USSR thought that the purpose of the bombings was to intimidate separate countries, in the view of Russian historian Vadim Nekrasov.This opposing view reflects their mutual feelings for from each one another(prenominal). The USSR felt the need cardinal fade the USA on arms and so in August 1949, the USSR have their own A-bomb. The increase in weapons and competition over military might was signly begun by the USA to contain communism. The USSR motto the increase in weapons and competition as a threat and felt the need to match or even surpass it. One nation felt the need that if the other were to have thermo atomic weapons of mass destruction, they should be able to neutralize any possible meet with their own stockpiles of weapons. The two countries had severalizeing viewpoints and could never see eye to eye. This miss of trust and continuous suspicion created unnecessary tension and further disable any relationships to be fixed.In April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty musical arrangement was created. It was a military alliance of the US, Canada and nations of Western Europe against the threat of communistic involution. The USSR saw this as a threat and so in response, half-dozen years later, the USSR created an antidote to this, being the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw Pact was a mutual defence treaty between eight communist states in Europe. The USSR saw NATO as a threat as Article 5 of the charter mentioned The parties agree to an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. In response, the USSRs Warsaw Pact state in the event of an armed attack in Europe, one or some(prenominal) states render the state(s) immediate assistance by all the means it whitethorn consider necessary including the utilisation of armed forces.both the nations saw these as threats as they instaled that each opposing nation was ready to attack when necessary. This heightened the humour of suspicion between them. Within the cold war, things almost turned hot. In 1950, the Korean War took place. The North Koreans (backed by the Soviets) invaded South Korea (backed by the USA). This event was a war between the Capitalists and communistics alone took place between two al most- puppet nations with the USA and USSR pulling the strings in enjoin to quash war with each other. The Korean War as a end break downcast in communication between the two and led to even more tension.The fact that both nations felt the necessity to surpass the other was evident in the Space Race. In October 1957, the USSR launched the Sputnik beam into orbit almost the earth. The USA required reassurance of their power and threat level as they completed if the USSR could send technology into space, it would be easy for them to send technology (possibly nuclear weapons) around the globe. They matched the USSR by putting a satellite into orbit in January 1958. This desire to surpass one another and going to extreme lengths to try on their worth showed the other that they were not willing to give up and were extremely persistent to be the best nuclear power in the world. The arms race was a seemingly never ending competition between the USA and the USSR as both nations need ed to show make to the other and be the last nation leave standing. As their pertinacity grew, so did their tensions.Others argue stock-still, the Eastern European factors were the main cause of tension. about could argue that initial tensions began at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences (1945) with the superpowers discussing and deciding the fates of the defeated nations of World War Two. The conferences themselves increased tensions as the powers disagreed over what should happen to Europe and Germany. The Soviets wanted to move Po visits borders to the West so that the USSRs borders could move into Poland. Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone so that Russia would be a satellite state and they could also react if ever attacked. Churchill expressed his views on Stalins motives to Roosevelt by byword The Soviet Union has become a risk of infection to the free world. A new front must be created as far east as possible before the armies of democracy melt. on that point were a lot of disagreements at Potsdam over what to do about Germany.Stalin left his troops occupying Eastern European countries. The USA disliked this as they scorned communism, merely now that the war had left them holding lots of land in Europe- much too much land (Clement Atlee, Britains select Minister), it would make it difficult for the USA to contain communism with the potential of communist expansion finished Europe. The conferences sparked the tensions between the two, however, in June 1948, tensions rapidly increased. The Soviets cut off road and rail routes to West Berlin in hope that the allies would be forced to leave Berlin and that the capitalist toxin in Eastern Europe would be removed. The US saw this as the USSRs attempt to expand European communism and decrease European confidence in America.The USA counteracted this act by supplying necessities via airlift and moving their nuclear bomber force to England as a threat to Russia. Truman justified his actions in 1949 by saying We would act when freedom was threatened, and therefore undermined the USSRs actions as ideate it as a form of entrapment. The USSR and the USA both claimed their parts of Germany through dividing it. The Western allies turned their occupied zones into the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviets conform up the German Democratic Republic. Germany and Berlin were both divided between the nations. Both the countries wanted to claim their land and used it to show how they were better. The need to show off created tensions as now the two nations were using land and the state in it to prove their worth.In 1961, tensions escalated to a new height. The USSR took their might a step further and built the Berlin circumvent to stop communists escaping to the west. The wall was the terminal straw of tension between the two nations. In an attempt to apologize his decisions, Khrushchev stated we had no choice to build the wall in order to maintain the freedom of East Berlin. Ther e are more spies in West Berlin than anywhere else in the worldcausing sabotage and riot.However, from an away(p) and unbiased perspective into the Berlin wall, a modern world textbook states the Wall was built to prevent the loss of many well educated East Germans. This was bad publicity for the East and Communism. This shows how far the USSR would go to make accepted Capitalism does not interfere with the Communist beliefs. He used his people and entrapped them in order to make Communism look good. Kennedy however, did not counteract Khrushchev as much as Truman and Roosevelt as he said Its not a nice solution, further a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war. Kennedy did not like what happened, but appeased.Contrary to the popular belief, tensions initially ignited as far back as 1917 during the Russian Civil War. Russias ruler Tsar was overthrown and so a provisional regimen was set up, however the Bolshevik party overthrew the government. The Bolshevik party faced oppos itions known as the whites and there was a gracious war. Foreign states including the USA got involved in order to stamp out the communist Bolsheviks and Russia saw this as an aggression of private affairs. The USA was Capitalist and believed in private ownerships and social mobility. The USSR was Communist and believed in complete equality for everyone and no private ownership. The two nations had super contrasting ideologies and the difference in beliefs is what started the tensions in the first place. Churchill flagged up the problems with communist Russia through his Iron Curtain Speech in 1946. He stated an iron curtain has descended across the continent Cities and populations lie in The Soviet sphere and all are subject, not only to Soviet influence, but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing notice of fancy from Moscow.Stalin simply said he was anxious for its (Soviet Union) forthcoming safety. The Western allies had a fear for the Communist expansion passim Eur ope and wanted to contain communism. Truman stated it must be the policy of the United States to support free nations against direct and indirect communist aggression in reference to the Containment Policy. The Truman Doctrine was the USAs initial attempt of containing communism. Greece and Turkey were each going through a civil war the policy provided military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey as they were threatened by communist governments. In reference to the Truman Doctrine, Truman says Greece must have assistance if it is to become a self-supporting and self-sustaining democracy. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world. The fact that the Truman Doctrine aided the two countries made it less likely the countries would have communist governments.Russia could not control Turkey and Greece, thus not allowing them to expand their communist empire throughout Europe. In 1948, the marshal Plan was introduced The state of Europe post World War Two comb ined with the coldest winter on record bring down Europe to starvation. The USA became Europes hero as Marshall promised that Americans would do whatever it is able to do to assist in the flow of normal economic health in the world Marshall sanction took the form of fuel, raw materials, goods, loans, food, machinery and advisors and was only available to those nations willing to cooperate. The Soviets feared that turning down Marshall Aid would cause unrest in their satellite countries and recognize that the USA were somewhat selling their ideologies to the nations.The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 however was the most tension-dense event. Cuba was influenced by the USA and was a trading nation with them until Fidel Castro, a communist took over. He set up a communist government which scared the USA into stopping trade with them. Castro increasingly sought jock through the Soviet Union. President Kennedy allowed supporters of Batista (Cubas previous leader) to attack Cuba but fa iled to gain support and were defeated by Castros men.Shipments of arms were direct to Cuba and the USA saw potential in attacks. Kennedy did not want to use weapons against Cuba, but did not want to appear weak and so he decided to place a naval blockade around Cuba. This importantly heated tensions as the possibility of nuclear attack was at a new level and the nations were close to a war. The Soviet Foreign Minister, Gromyko saw the USAs attempts as an unrestrained anti-Cuban propaganda campaign. Once again, the two nations lacked the capability of seeing eye to eye and had miscommunication faults.It could be argued that the contrasting ideologies were the central cause of tension and kept tensions alive and healthy throughout the 17 year period. The change in presidents and leaders changed the level of tensions. As contradictory to Stalin, Khrushchev wanted to improve relations and opposed to Truman and Roosevelt, Kennedy was fairly passive (e.g. Berlin Wall). Without the ini tial friction created from the differences in ideologies, there would not have been an arms race or competition for control over Eastern Europe. Both countries aimed for peace, but their methods for peace were constantly viewed as threats due to the hatred of the opposing ideologies.Khrushchev believed the main thing is to argue without resort to arms and Kennedy believed a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war, video display that neither wanted to end up going to war and so both nations were in an arms race solely to prove their ideologies worth. The noesis that the opposing nation wanted to expand their ideologies blinded the other and created them ignorant, privateness their ignorance through control over Europe and accumulation of nuclear arms. Overall, the contrast in ideologies was the factor which, throughout the cold war, created the foundation of and was the heart of tensions between the USA and USSR.