Causes of the Cold War

Causes of the cold war An event that took less than one second to unfold shaped the remainder of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. The destruction of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with the use of atomic bombs, ended WWII. The unveiling of this super-weapon caused the Allied nations of the world to realign themselves in an effort to either gain access to atomic technology or to secure it and keep it from others. This arms race for atomic and then nuclear weaponry is considered a long-term cause of the Cold War.

There were a number of immediate causes at the end of WWII that were also responsible. Josef Stalin refused to allow free elections in the Soviet-controlled territories and imposed communism instead, creating satellite states. The United States, Great Britain, and France rejected the practices of Stalin. Stalin was considered to be as untrustworthy, sinister, and evil as Hitler had been. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the spread of communism and the control of Stalin by saying,

"A shadow has fallen upon the scenes so lately lighted by the Allied victories. . . . From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe.”

Europe was divided into eastern and western blocs Europe was divided into eastern and western blocs. President Truman settled on a policy of containment which is called the Truman Doctrine. Containment was the idea that the spread of communism and Soviet control must be stopped, or contained. Stalin viewed this as a threat, which created a conflict that would last nearly half a century.

1945-Yalta Conference / Germany would be divided into 4 zones among allies (U.S., France, Britain get Western part) USSR gets much of the eastern part-all agreed to hold free elections, Russia also agreed to hold free elections in Poland.

Yalta Conference in February 1945 with (from left to right) Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin.

1946-Russia does not follow through-no elections, refused to remove troops (sets up a communist government. Buffer zone to protect against attack / trade & communications from the west is cut off -IRON CURTAIN-

In the aftermath of WWII, Europe was in a state of ruin, with people living in constant hunger and abject poverty. The United States sought to relieve some of this suffering through economic aid called the Marshall Plan. This aid package included the rebuilding of Germany, which Stalin saw as a threat. Therefore, Germany was divided into an eastern and western half. The city of Berlin itself was also divided. The western half of Germany and Berlin was rebuilt by the Marshall Plan, while the Soviet-controlled eastern portion was ignored. Stalin tried to keep Western aid out of Berlin, but failed when Allied planes flew around the clock missions for one year, supplying West Berlin.

COLD WAR During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies fighting common enemies, but their political, economic, and social systems were very different. After the war, each superpower attempted to extend its influence, quickly leading to a “Cold War” – first in Europe and then in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The Cold War was “cold” only in the sense that the two superpowers never confronted one another directly in open warfare.

ROOTS OF THE COLD WAR The roots of the Cold War lay in the competing ideological (belief) systems of the Western democracies and Soviet Communism. While Western nations hoped to spread democracy and capitalism, Soviet leaders promoted the expansion of Communism.

  WESTERN DEMOCRACIES SOVIET COMMUNISM POLITICAL SYSTEM Citizens elect representatives and national leaders. People have the right to form their own political parties. The Soviet Union was a dictatorship controlled by communist Party leaders. The Communist Party was the only political party permitted. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS Citizens have basic rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. The people had few rights. The government controlled radio, TV, and newspapers. Secret police arrested all critics of the government. Practice of religion was discouraged. ECONOMIC SYSTEM Under capitalism, people and corporations own businesses. They provide goods and services in order to make a profit. Market economy or Demand economy Private property was abolished. With state ownership and central planning, the government controlled all production. Private farms became state-owned collective farms. Command economy

Even before World War II ended, Franklin D Even before World War II ended, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin met at the Yalta Conference in 1945 to make plans for the post-war world. They agreed to divide Germany into four separate zones of occupation, controlled by the U.S., Britain, France, and the U.S.S.R. Stalin pledged to allow free elections in Eastern Europe when the war was over.