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The Origins of The Cold War PDF

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32 views2 pages

The Origins of The Cold War PDF

Uploaded by

Aymen Loueti
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Unit 2: The Origins of the Cold War

I. Context :
A- Historical : 1945 ( the end of WWII)/1947 (Trauman Doctrine)/ 1991 ( the end of the Cold
War)
B- Geopolitical: two major political superpowers: USSR vs U.S: Communist Bloc (Soviet Union,
Eastern Europe, North Korea and China) vs Anti Communist Bloc (U.S, Western Europe,
Turkey and Japan).
 Key Concepts:
 Propaganda: both countries were creating an influx of information, sometimes fake about
each other, that were meant to polarize each other‘s citizens against each other.
 Non-cooperation: both entities shows not to cooperate each other as militarily or
economically. There was no diplomatic relationships between the two countries.
 Proxy wars: refers to a conflict where two opposing powers use third parties as substitutes
to engage in hostilities on their behalf in which each country finances and sponsors and
supports the third parties.
II. Main Causes:
A. Contradicting ideologies:
Between the United States and the Soviet Union laid the groundwork for the Cold War. The US
promoted democracy, capitalism, and individual freedoms, while the Soviet Union advocated
for communism, state control of the economy, and collective ownership. These conflicting
ideologies fueled suspicion, mistrust, and competition between the two superpowers.
B. Stalin’s Foreign Policy:
Joseph Stalin's aggressive foreign policy further escalated tensions. Stalin sought to establish a
neutral zone of friendly states in Eastern Europe to protect the Soviet Union from potential
future invasions. He pursued expansionist policies, installing communist governments in
Eastern European countries.
C. U.S and Britain Hostility:
The US and Britain grew suspicious of Stalin's motives, particularly regarding his expansionist
aims in Eastern Europe. This doubt escalated amidst disagreements over how to shape the post-
war world, especially regarding the division of Germany and the fate of Poland. These tensions
increased and fueled the beginning of the Cold War.
III. Major Developments:
A. The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences (1945):
The Yalta Conference in February 1945, attended by Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, aimed to
organize post-war Europe. They agreed to divide Germany and hold free elections in Eastern
Europe. Tensions escalated during the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945, as
disagreements arose over Germany's demilitarization, reparations, and the treatment of Eastern
Europe.
The U.S and USSR discussed the reorganization of Germany and Europe.
B. Russian Expansion and the “Iron Curtain” speech:
After World War II, the Soviet Union spread communism into Eastern Europe, installing
governments in European countries. In 1946, Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech
highlighted the division between Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe and Western democracies,
marking the start of the Cold War.
The emergence of a new Russian sphere of influence.
Churchill declared the rise of a Communist Bloc.
C. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshal Plan:
In 1947, President Harry Truman announced the Truman Doctrine, which pledged support to
countries threatened by communism, particularly in Greece and Turkey. This marked a shift
towards a policy of containment against Soviet expansionism. The Marshall Plan, also
announced in 1947, was a massive economic aid program designed to rebuild Western Europe
and prevent the spread of communism through economic stability and development.
The containment of communism and rebuilding a pro-American Europe vs empowering
the communist bloc and assisting pro Soviet states.
D. The Creation of NATO ( 1949):
In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed, establishing a military
alliance among Western European and North American countries to counter the perceived
Soviet threat. NATO's creation solidified the division of Europe into Western and Eastern
spheres of influence, marking a significant escalation in the Cold War.
The U.S pledged itself to military action.

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