Be thorough and critical. Respond to each others answers and reasoning.
Primary Sources:
Stalin's response to the "Iron Curtain Speech":
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1946stalin.html
George Marshall Speech on the Marshall Plan:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947marshallplan1.html
- What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
- What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
- Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
- How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
- Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
- What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
- Why containment?
- How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
- Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
Lexie Sparrow
ReplyDeleteSeptember 12, 2010
1. The relationship between the US and the Soviets that is conveyed was that the US was dominate compared to Soviets. The US had the major power because they had the most powerful weapon, nuclear power. The USSR realized this and thus there was an automatic thirst for the best nuclear power, and then there was a competeion to see who would be the number one power.
2. One of the major things that lead to the Cold War was the clashing of politics that the US and the USSR had. The US is capitialists and the USSR is communist. This alone proves that because these political styles are complete opposites of each other, there was going to be a battle to see which one would top the other. Also, because both the US and the USSR were the major axis powers, there was this constant fight for the countries to one up each other. An example of this was the nuclear arms race that was going on since 1953. All of these, competitions between the US and USSR help lead up to the Cold War.
3. I feel that both of the countries were at fault, but I feel like US should take a lot of the responsibilities. I feel that the US gets itself into issues that it is not really there place to be. They are always trying to fix everything. I also think that when the US decided to not include the USSR in the idea to fuse all the territories in Germany together, it made the USSR feel as if the US was trying to plot against them to get ride of them. Since the US, took matters into their own hands, made the USSR turn on them, and I feel that they should be talking some of the fault.
4. The US and the USSR both tried to secure their sides by getting as many other countries to help join in on there political stance. For the USSR, they had some hostile takeovers and also had allies, that would possible help show the world that communism was the right choice. The US decided to get all of the allies that were against communism and band them together to try to make a great force in order to stop the spread of communism.
5. I think that both the US and the USSR actions were selfish. I mean, the only motive basically was for the US to stop communism and stay on top and for the USSR it was to spread communism and stay the number one power. There were no selfless actions made during this time period leading up to the Cold War and during the Cold War. Both the US and USSR made decisions that would effectivley help their own countries and maybe also benefit some of their allies.
6. I believe that the connection between economic dislocation and communism is that the US thought that if western europe failed economically it would be easier for them to be taken over by the Soviets and thats why they made the marshall plan. Marshall plan was a finical aid plan the US offered to all the western european countries to keep from Soviet takeover it was more to help Italy and France not get taken over. US asked that the money would be given back through trade etc. for american to benefit the american economy.
7. Containment was used by the US and their forces. The definition of containment is trying to keep the regions where communism was in stay there but not let it spread. The use of containment was an idea that the US needed to use because they thought if they stopped the spreading of communism, then the Soviets couldn't get more power.
8. The marshall plan was believed to be successful by some, because it helped the reconstruction of Europe, and some believe all it did was create inflation which didn't help anything. Since, the US was going to get money back, it also boosted he US economically.
9. I think that the Cold War was enviable because there was obviously going to be post war issues that someone had to deal with and because there were so many different powers trying to control it there were bound to be disagreements, that would lead to one country against another. I feel that because of all the issues that were left unsolved after World War II, there was bond to be more confrontation.
1. By reading these documents, you can feel the conflict between the two, you can tell that they definitely did not have a good relationship. The United States was more powerful than the USSR, especially including weapon technology. You can tell that there is constant rivalry going on between the USSR and the US. For example, when the US was the first to use nuclear weapons, the USSR knew that they needed to step up their game because of the powerful weapon. Both countries wanted to be the number one power.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that politics led to the onset of the cold war. The United States being democrats, and the USSR being communists resulted in conflict, which led to the Cold War. These two types of governments are completely different from one another, and this disagreements ended up in major conflict, which then led to the onset of the Cold War. I also believe that the want for power is also to blame for causing the Cold War.
3. Even though I think that both countries are at fault, I believe that the United States is the one that took this out of hand. The United States wants to be seen as the peacemaker, and I believe that doing so is not in our power, and it usually ends up making more conflict than there was in the beginning. I think that the United States needs to stay out of other peoples business, and let people deal with their own problems and not always feel like we are obligated to help.
4. Both countries spent a lot of time trying to secure their sides. The USSR would invade other countries and force them into communism. The United States would go to the countries that were against communism and help them become a democracy. America’s way of helping other countries was teaching them about democracy and help the country become one.
5. I personally believe that their actions were completely selfish. These countries both wanted to be seen as peacemakers, but their main goal was to gain the most power world wide. They were both trying to gain allies, so they could win the fight against communism and democracy. I don’t think that any of the two countries actions were selfless during the Cold War time period.
6. The connection that was made between economic dislocation and communism is that the United States came up with the Marshall Plan to help fix the economic dislocation and they also wanted to put an end to communism. The Marshall plan was the primary program of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger economic foundation for the countries in Europe.
7. Containment was mostly used by the US. The United States used containment so they could stop the spreading of communism. They did this so they could stop the USSR from becoming the most powerful. They United States wanted to be the most powerful.
8. The Marshall Plan was pretty successful. Several Western European countries experienced a rise in their gross national products of 15 to 25 percent during this period. The plan contributed greatly to the rapid renewal of the Western European chemical, engineering, and steel industries. At the end of the Marshall Plan, nearly $15 billion in recovery aid had been channeled into Western Europe.
9. I believe that the Cold War was inevitable. I believe that the Cold War was inevitable because both countries were so power hungry that a war started. When you have two countries that disagree on politics as strongly as the USSR and the US, it is almost certain that a war
(9 continued)
ReplyDeleteis going to break out.
1.It’s a very progressive and power stricken relationship. The US and the Soviet Union are in war for power over Europe. The US is the main power and the Soviet Union is known as the crazy nation that wants all power. It seems to me that thorough these articles that the Soviet Union is a baby and the US is the adult and the US is trying to get the children to behave by isolating them.
ReplyDelete2.The U.S. was all about containing the USSR and making sure they didn’t touch or do what they were not supposed to. The USSR did not like that, they had sent many troops all over the place because they had the power to do so. The USSR was a major power after WWI and they wanted that to continue, they felt for their supremacy to continue, the US must be destroyed. In one example we see that the USSR had much power in Turkey, they had sent many troops over in that east Mediterranean region but then along came the U.S stating that they would be a temporary presence there. Not too long after saying that did they turn around and say they would be a permanent presence in Turkey. The Soviets did not approve of this for they were taking over all of Europe, when this power struggle here began, the Cold War began to or the onset of it.
3.In my opinion both countries were at fault. The Soviet Union found that the only way to get their way was to dominate everyone, world domination or European domination is not the ONLY WAY TO GET WHAT YOU WANT. The U.S. put together great plans for European Recovery but still it is obvious that they were mainly thinking about their reputation and how other countries would perceive them. Mainly these choices were made so these countries could stop communism and make money, with that mentioned both countries share the blame.
4.The U.S. secured their sides by teaching and preaching how great the “American way of life was” along with donated and funding many countries in their recovery efforts. The Soviets secured their sides and created their spheres of influence by dominating all of Europe and forcing their ideas upon others such as Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia.
5.Some actions that came from the U.S. were selfless but they majority of actions that took place were selfish. On the part of the U.S. many things were only done so that they could look good to all of Europe. All of the USSR actions were selfish, because the only means of power they truly wanted was European domination and the Soviets would do anything possible to win the influence of another country.
6. What is economic dislocation?Economic dislocation simply means an economic plan or system that can not flourish in capitalism and is poverty stricken. I believe that there were major connections made between economic dislocation and communism.
ReplyDeleteFor example almost all countries in Europe during the Cold War were under communism, and when in a communism economic system no one flourishes or makes more money than someone else.When in a system such as this, many people may be bound to be poverty stricken for possible all of their lives.
7.Containment was a term coined from Soviet analyst George Kennan.He wanted to contain the Soviet Union due to their outrageous and rough behavior. He figured if he contained them, isolated in one area they wouldn’t effect America so much.
8.Despite many difficulties the Marshal Plan was forced to endure, I still find it to have been very successful. Countries who needed the money most received it. As it said it would do, it did stimulate European recovery because from the Marshall Plan many economic recovery programs were established such as the European Economic Community and the European Coal and Steel Community. Organizations such as these were influential tools that boosted the European economy. Once again the Marshal Plan did increase markets for American exports. In the end America was the country to end out on top.
9.I find it to be inevitable only because it stemmed from a power struggle. The USSR wanted to rule the world, they wanted to eradicate the US and have influence over everyone else and that is also the main reason as to why the war began. The USSR found themselves to be the most “powerful” country and they felt that their only competition was the US, as long as the US was out of their way, they would have EVERYTHING. Due to the nature of the war and why it began the Cold War was inevitable.
1. Within the documents that I have read the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union was not a very stable on, do to different political ideals and the outcome of WWII. The US is a nationalistic government the Soviet Union is communist so there for there is some unease there, but also The union felt that they took the most damage from the war against Germany. The US was strong with very little damage while Russia was war torn. The United states was the super power with superior nuclear capabilities and that The soviet union tried out do the United states.
ReplyDelete2. As I had stated in the question above The US and The Soviet Union had different political views which caused tension between the two countries. Add on how badly The Soviets felt they were screwed in after mat of the war and the Cold war is the solution. Britain, France, Russia, and America split up Germany into four parts and within Russia's part they divided the capital Berlin into fours as well. This angered Russia because they felt that they got the short end of the stick. Also the title for the Ultimate super power was up for grabs, so they both stockpiled on nuclear weapons. This was a stalemate because if one attacked the other then the other would attack and there would be an astronomical amount deaths.
3. Neither country can take the blame alone when it comes down to this, as they say it takes two to tango. Both countries are in the wrong especially in this situation this escalated to a point that never needed to be reached. Using nuclear bombs as a scare tactic is never the right answer but I also feel that the US tried to takeover the situation in Europe instead of letting Europe solve it themselves. That still does excused Russia for the wrongs it has committed in this as well.
4. Both The US and The soviet Union created sphere of influences that used major propaganda to create dislike for the other country. Also they used there connections with other countries to aid them to create hostility toward the other country. Many times one of the countries would forcefully place their ideals on another country to gain their dominance.
5. I feel that for both countries that it was pure selfishness but they believed it to be selfless. The US was hoping to spread there political ideas and to stop the spread of communism. The Soviet Union was trying to spread communism and rebuild there country. So as i said before i feel that these countries truly believed that what they were doing was bettering society but in retrospect was harming it.
6. The connection between economic dislocation and communism was the belief that if the countries in Europe failed economically then it would be that much easier for the union to take over. So the US introduced the marshal plan this help any country that was open to holding open elections for there leaders. This was going to help the entire European economy.
7. Containment was a way of keeping communism where it was so it would be a lot easier to deal with. This was used by the US and its allies. This solution was to help the US stay on top.
8. The Marshall Plan was a successful way of boosting the economy of Europe so that it could rebuild its self. Many of countries that participated with this boosted there economy greatly. This also benefited the United States greatly for a lot of the money they gave they were to get in return.
9. I feel that the Cold war was inevitable when you combine tension from difference in politics, unsolved problems in WWII, and just power hunger of two great powers you get the cold war. Communism vs Capitalism was the greatest variable when breaking down the cold war when there is difference the is tension and when tension is not dealt with correctly then bad things can occur.
I am david Jacquet
ReplyDelete1. In reading these documents, the tension between the two countries is apparent. The United States had more power than the Soviet Union, specifically when it came to nuclear weapons, which the United States had and used effectively years before the USSR did. This created more conflict between the two clashing superpowers who also did not agree with the other's political stances.
ReplyDelete2. The main cause for the start of the Cold War were the different political parties that were in charge of the US and the USSR, capitalism and communism. Neither country agreed the other country's political system which caused a large amount of tension that would inevitably lead to war. Another cause was the division of Germany, when the US fused their German territory with England and France, leaving the USSR out, with the smallest portion of the country. Both countries wanted power, and to be the most powerful, and therefore could not co-exist peacefully.
3. Neither country is more to blame than the other. Both the US and the USSR share blame in the way that they both wanted to be the most powerful, so their tension was almost inevitable. They both wanted to have control of the weakened countries in Europe and they both wanted to have access to nuclear weapons sooner and faster than the rest of the world. So they share the blame when it comes to starting and continuing the Cold War.
4. Each country controlled and secured their sides by spreading their influence to other, weaker countries and allies and getting them to join their cause in defending the world against the other. The Soviet Union also secured their side by finally developing a nuclear weapon of their own in 1952, which also began the arms race, and both countries began "securing" their homeland by developing better and more impressive nuclear weapons.
5. In my opinion, both the actions of the United States and the actions of the Soviet Union were almost entirely selfish. All of their actions were done with a need for more power and expansion. They stepped on weaker Third World countries in order to gain power over the other, and at times, such as when it came to the arms race or the space race, they seemed to have no motive other than trying to show off their power to the other side.
6. The connection between economic dislocation and communism was that small countries that were under a lot of economic stress, especially after World War II, were more likely to turn to communism. The Soviet Union knew, and took advantage of this and spread to many weakened countries in eastern Europe.
7. Containment, a term used by the United States, was used to describe the way that they were stopping communism from spreading. They did so by helping the countries that had not yet been affected by communism and containing the ones that had. They knew that by containing communism, they were halting the Soviet Union while it tried to spread farther.
8. The Marshal Plan was relatively successful in the way that it more or less did what it was meant to do, which was assist non-communist countries in Western Europe that were in economic distress after World War II.
9. I believe that the Cold War was not inevitable, because even though the United States and the USSR had many issues, including their need for power, they could have worked out a peaceful agreement. This agreement could have ended their conflict sooner, and fewer powerless countries would have been harmed in the process.
1. U.S. - Soviet relations were not good. They were in a constant struggle for power and to be number one. This is evident in the text and is illustrated by the contempt each country holds for each other. Whatever the United States did, such as nuclear weapons, the USSR needed to follow quickly or they would be out of the running for number one.
ReplyDelete2. Differing politics ultimately led to the onset of the Cold War. By one country declaring that their political views were better than the other, war was inevitable and along with that came the rivalry. The struggle for power and differing political views are directly related. Both sides believe they are right and will do anything to prove they are.
3. I think that both countries are to blame. The United States was trying to seem like the one who was helping and putting everything back together but they really were just trying too hard to be the good guy. They meddled in affairs that were not their own. Still, both countries had different views, and both countries saw anything different from their own view as their enemy.
4. The Soviet Union “secured their side” by spreading communism and taking over countries. These countries had communism thrust upon them and they had to go along with it. The United States seemed to have the right idea of going to other countries that actually share their views and securing them. The United States also had the idea of banding all of the countries against communism together, which was a good strategy. These “spheres of influence” got to the point where there were separate economies in Europe.
5. Both were definitely selfish, but the USSR’s were particularly self-driven. They didn’t try to hide that they wanted to spread communism; they just took over. All they wanted was their views to be spread. America definitely had selfish aims as they wanted their views to be spread because they thought they were right. Through out this, both countries are struggling for the number one power spot.
6. Economic dislocation and communism are connected by the simple fact that if economic dislocation were to happen, communism would take over. The United States quickly formed the Marshall Plan which would help Europe and its economy from falling to communism. This plan also was supposed to help the American economy.
7. Containment was used by the United States to keep communism where it was and to not let it spread anywhere else. The United States did not want communism to spread so they used containment.
8. The Marshall Plan was only mostly successful but it helped the United States economy tremendously. Supposedly, it only inflated the European economy. Besides that, it did create many valuable organizations to the European economy.
9. Because of the rising tensions between countries, whether it was political views or not, I think the Cold War was definitely inevitable. Ultimately, there was a lot of power to be held in the world at the time and pretty much to seize this power one had to start a war about it. The communism versus capitalism was just on the surface. Deeper below this, the Cold War was all about a power struggle.
1. U.S. - Soviet relations were not good. They were in a constant struggle for power and to be number one. This is evident in the text and is illustrated by the contempt each country holds for each other. Whatever the United States did, such as nuclear weapons, the USSR needed to follow quickly or they would be out of the running for number one.
ReplyDelete2. Differing politics ultimately led to the onset of the Cold War. By one country declaring that their political views were better than the other, war was inevitable and along with that came the rivalry. The struggle for power and differing political views are directly related. Both sides believe they are right and will do anything to prove they are.
3. I think that both countries are to blame. The United States was trying to seem like the one who was helping and putting everything back together but they really were just trying too hard to be the good guy. They meddled in affairs that were not their own. Still, both countries had different views, and both countries saw anything different from their own view as their enemy.
4. The Soviet Union “secured their side” by spreading communism and taking over countries. These countries had communism thrust upon them and they had to go along with it. The United States seemed to have the right idea of going to other countries that actually share their views and securing them. The United States also had the idea of banding all of the countries against communism together, which was a good strategy. These “spheres of influence” got to the point where there were separate economies in Europe.
5.Both were definitely selfish, but the USSR’s were particularly self-driven. They didn’t try to hide that they wanted to spread communism; they just took over. All they wanted was their views to be spread. America definitely had selfish aims as they wanted their views to be spread because they thought they were right. Through out this, both countries are struggling for the number one power spot.
6. Economic dislocation and communism are connected by the simple fact that if economic dislocation were to happen, communism would take over. The United States quickly formed the Marshall Plan which would help Europe and its economy from falling to communism. This plan also was supposed to help the American economy.
7. Containment was used by the United States to keep communism where it was and to not let it spread anywhere else. The United States did not want communism to spread so they used containment.
ReplyDelete8. The Marshall Plan was only mostly successful but it helped the United States economy tremendously. Supposedly, it only inflated the European economy. Besides that, it did create many valuable organizations to the European economy.
9. Because of the rising tensions between countries, whether it was political views or not, I think the Cold War was definitely inevitable. Ultimately, there was a lot of power to be held in the world at the time and pretty much to seize this power one had to start a war about it. The communism versus capitalism was just on the surface. Deeper below this, the Cold War was all about a power struggle.
Ani Keshishian
ReplyDelete1. There is a lot of tension between the US and Soviets. They are constantly struggling for power and trying to stop the others spread of influence. They are both reaching for nuclear superiority and for the most part the US is always one step ahead of the USSR. Their is a lot of propaganda coming from both the US and USSR and this is shown when in Stalin’s reply to Churchill, Stalin compares Churchill to Hitler. They both consider their greatest enemy and though their is not much of a physical war their is a clear battle for power.
2. The USSR quick expansion and growing influence was a threat to the US’s power and influence. Their political views were so different and they both wanted to be the most powerful. The fact that the US had a weapon that the USSR didn’t have made the US more powerful and the USSR didn’t want that so they would make that weapon and the US would make another weapon to be more powerful and so the arms race would begin. When the US, Britain, and France combined their parts of Germany, leaving the USSR out, it was the beginning of the division of Europe.
3. I think both countries are to blame. They both had such hate for each other and instead of trying to compromise they just kept trying to see who could beat the other. They both contributed to the back and forth arms race and also to the propaganda against each other which just fueled their hate towards one another even more merely because of their different political views and there craving of power.
4. The USSR secured its side by forcing and influencing other countries into Communism and it would use its Red Army to pull countries to become a part of the Soviet Union and instilled fear in the people by punishing any one who opposed Communism and sending them to prison camps or killing them. They used a lot of propaganda and stressed America’s threat towards their prosperous future. The USSR presented itself as the antidote to imperialism and quickly swept up countries who were weak.
The US secured its side by stressing anti-communism and making America seem like the most powerful. It tried to spread its influence and make the USSR sound as evil as possible. It made itself seem kind and willing to help other countries with their economic problems with the Marshall Plan. It spread the American culture and the material attractions of Western capitalism making American life the way to live.
5. Their actions were entirely selfish. Every decision they made was in hopes to bring themselves higher and bring the other country down. The US may have come up with the Marshall Plan but its true intentions behind it were that if other countries were getting help from the US and were economically stable they wouldn’t fall into communism. The USSR was just trying to expand as much as possible and spread communism and the US was just trying to be the most powerful and put down communism. Their was nothing selfless about it, everything they did they, they did to help themselves.
6. The weaker one’s economy was the more likely they were to fall into communism. When a country was failing economically, its hopes of functioning independently would decrease and when a country is in such hard times and communism is saying they will help them and fix things, the countries hopes are low and options are slim, so they fall into communism. This is why the US was hoping that with the Marshall Plan, helping countries get economically back on their feet, they would be less likely to fall into communism.
7. Containment, a term discovered by George Kennan, was the idea that the US should use military, political and economic forces to keep the USSR within its borders and not let it further expand. The thought was that if the USSR was contained, it would eventually fall due to internal reasons and the more it expanded, the more power it gained, the more difficult it would be to fall apart.
ReplyDelete8. The Marshall Plan was quiet successful because it ended up distributing more than $13 billion to fourteen countries. It helped with a lot of rebuilding in countries that were destroyed by WWII and greatly needed economic help. Though some may argue it caused inflation. However, it did help with the reconstruction in Europe and really brought Europe together and played a large part in the European integration process.
9. The Cold War was inevitable because both countries wanted to be the most powerful. They were the two most powerful countries at the time, they both had such different political views, and the were just both so power hungry; of course the result would be Cold War.
1.) The documents show that there was a great deal of feuding between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both essentially shared the exact same opinion of each other -- the other was overstepping their bounds when it came to the usage of their power and voice. Because of this, the political "he said, she said" games ensued. This is conveyed through the Soviet Union's immediate attack on the policies of the West; specifically England and the United States.
ReplyDelete2.) The separate political views held between the United States and Soviet Union, were of course a catalyst to start the Cold War, but political opinion alone was not enough to cause such a race to power. After dividing Germany and creating the Marshal Plan in a way that excluded the Soviet Union, it was clear that the United States had offended them in a irreversible way. This, then partnered by the Soviet Union's new aggressive tactics in spreading Communism lead the United States feel a sense of urgency to stop what they were doing.
3.) I do not believe that one country is any more in the blame than the other in regards to the Cold War. I believe that both the United States and the Soviet Union made mistakes, and each respective country reacted accordingly to those mistakes. Yes, the Soviet Union was excluded from the Marshal plan by the United States, but also they essentially excluded themselves for their own political agenda. And yes, the Soviet Union did aggressively pursue smaller countries, but that is something the United States had been doing for years (and continues to do) before the Soviet Union.
4.) In the most literal sense possible, the United States and the Soviet Union (along with France and England) secured their sides initially through the division of Germany. This created four separate sectors (plus a divided Berlin), in which each country had free reign. This then evolved into expanded seclusion. The United States had a growing influence within the Western world and they used it, the Soviet Union, on the other hand, rapidly spread it views in smaller parts of Eastern Europe. The United States did so through means like the Truman doctrine, while the Soviet Union did so through converting nations like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, etc. into new Communist nations.
5.) I believe their actions were entirely selfish. Each country was doing whatever they could to one up the other nation so they could stay on top. For the United States, this meant being "altruistic" and donating vast sums of money to smaller nations to "combat Communism", on the flip-side for the Soviet Union, this meant using more hostile tactics to get their say within Europe. Either way, neither was looking for the betterment of the world, but rather the betterment (and I use that term loosely, seeing as power is not equivalent to a better nation) of themselves.
6.) Economic dislocation and communism were related in that they followed a very simple pattern throughout Europe. If a small country was in economic turmoil, or nearing economic turmoil, the Soviet Union would view it as a target. They would then proceed to pursue it and try to bring it to become another communist nation.
7.) Containment was a very useful and intelligent policy. Containment did two things for the United States. First off, it kept the influence and spread of the Soviet Union at bay through making sure they did not expand any further, and secondly probably the key element to its success is that while it may have bothered the Soviet Union, it was not something big enough for them to start an actual war, or cause anything more than a little commotion.
1.) The documents show that there was a great deal of feuding between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both essentially shared the exact same opinion of each other -- the other was overstepping their bounds when it came to the usage of their power and voice. Because of this, the political "he said, she said" games ensued. This is conveyed through the Soviet Union's immediate attack on the policies of the West; specifically England and the United States.
ReplyDelete2.) The separate political views held between the United States and Soviet Union, were of course a catalyst to start the Cold War, but political opinion alone was not enough to cause such a race to power. After dividing Germany and creating the Marshal Plan in a way that excluded the Soviet Union, it was clear that the United States had offended them in a irreversible way. This, then partnered by the Soviet Union's new aggressive tactics in spreading Communism lead the United States feel a sense of urgency to stop what they were doing.
3.) I do not believe that one country is any more in the blame than the other in regards to the Cold War. I believe that both the United States and the Soviet Union made mistakes, and each respective country reacted accordingly to those mistakes. Yes, the Soviet Union was excluded from the Marshal plan by the United States, but also they essentially excluded themselves for their own political agenda. And yes, the Soviet Union did aggressively pursue smaller countries, but that is something the United States had been doing for years (and continues to do) before the Soviet Union.
4.) In the most literal sense possible, the United States and the Soviet Union (along with France and England) secured their sides initially through the division of Germany. This created four separate sectors (plus a divided Berlin), in which each country had free reign. This then evolved into expanded seclusion. The United States had a growing influence within the Western world and they used it, the Soviet Union, on the other hand, rapidly spread it views in smaller parts of Eastern Europe. The United States did so through means like the Truman doctrine, while the Soviet Union did so through converting nations like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, etc. into new Communist nations.
5.) I believe their actions were entirely selfish. Each country was doing whatever they could to one up the other nation so they could stay on top. For the United States, this meant being "altruistic" and donating vast sums of money to smaller nations to "combat Communism", on the flip-side for the Soviet Union, this meant using more hostile tactics to get their say within Europe. Either way, neither was looking for the betterment of the world, but rather the betterment (and I use that term loosely, seeing as power is not equivalent to a better nation) of themselves.
6.) Economic dislocation and communism were related in that they followed a very simple pattern throughout Europe. If a small country was in economic turmoil, or nearing economic turmoil, the Soviet Union would view it as a target. They would then proceed to pursue it and try to bring it to become another communist nation.
7.) Containment was a very useful and intelligent policy. Containment did two things for the United States. First off, it kept the influence and spread of the Soviet Union at bay through making sure they did not expand any further, and secondly probably the key element to its success is that while it may have bothered the Soviet Union, it was not something big enough for them to start an actual war, or cause anything more than a little commotion.
What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThe impression I get is that the U.S. Soviet relations are rocky. America tried to stay out of all the controversy at first but eventually were sucked in, at one point, the U.S. was bragging to the Soviets and although they seemed unfazed by it, secretly they impressed.
What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The U.S. was the only power that was able to provide economic aid after the war, the fact that the United States had money was what made the U.S.S.R. strive harder to be a dominant country, the Soviets demanded for 10 million in reparations which could have created tension from not only America but other countries.
Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
No, I believe that the countries dragged into this war were forced to, to protect what was theirs and to show others that they were strong, the Soviet Union started it and the blame should remain on them, although in their minds they might have been trying to protect what little they had after they had been damaged in the World War.
How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The Americans, British and Soviets secured their sides by splitting up Germany and Berlin into four occupation zones, in the two “Big Three” conferences. France took over control in the fourth Zone.
Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
Their actions weren’t selfish, or selfless, while all the countries involved in dividing Germany might have realized that in the end it might be a good choice economically, militarily and politically. America, Britain, France and the Soviets divided Germany to protect the world from further damage. To control the Germans in every way was a very powerful thing and it obviously was in the wrong hands.
What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
Economic dislocation with essentially means a weak economy and therefore make the idea of communism more appealing, having everything be equal.
Why containment?
Containment was a way that made it seem as though the U.S. was on the offensive side and kept everyone calm and put together instead of going back on everything they said.
How "successful" was the Marshall Plan?
The Marshall Plan was successful, even though Europe was already on the road to recovery, it showed that the U.S. was there to help the countries that wanted to be helped. It gave ideas to the Europeans for the future on how to deal with their economic woes, the Marshall Plan also helped by unsettling the communists economy in Europe .
Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
No, because another country like the USSR would have stood up to what they wanted and it might have been taken as far as the Cold War was because the USSR were very prepared, but there still would have casualties, and more economic troubles, allies and enemies.
* What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThe impression is that they are not at a good point right now. For example, the UK is an ally to the US, and in Stalin’s response to Churchill, he compared the prime minister to Hitler, saying he thought that English-speakers were on a different, more sophisticated level. He criticized the English-speaking nations for supposedly having this view, and for persecuting communism. And then in George Marshall’s description of the Marshall Plan, he said that the US would help the countries of Europe, except the ones that “stood in the way” of peace. He was referring to Russia at that point.
* What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
- Russia tested the first atomic bomb
- Russia started to take over multiple countries, sending the US into a panic. They didn’t want to be taken over as well and fall to communism
- China made a treaty with Russia. US worried that communism would spread to all of Asia, and took action. Allied w/ different Asian countries in an attempt to stop it.
- Not being able to agree on how to divide Germany among the 4 winning countries.
* Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
No, I think each country had an equal part in the fighting.
* How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The US spread fear of communism. The infamous Red Scare of the 50’s, for example, was when McCarthyism was at it’s peak. The government persecuted people who were sympathetic to communists, even if there wasn’t proof to back it up. There was a lot of negative propaganda associated with the word communism. Lot’s of paranoia. And Russia was no different. They punished people sympathetic with Western ideas by either exiling them or executing them.
* Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
Their actions weren’t necessarily completely selfless, but they also were not always entirely selfish. Some of the time the countries just wanted to do what was right for the people. In the case of the US, I think it was mostly selfless reasons for going, although a bit misguided. The government wanted to protect it’s country from what they viewed as evil, which in this case was communism. The same goes for Russia.
* What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The farming industry. It was losing steam in Europe b/c people couldn’t buy from the farmers privately, they had to rely on the weakened government to supply them with food. The farmers also suffered somewhat. They didn’t have clothes or other things from modern civilization.
* Why containment?
Because the U.S. didn’t want communism to spread across Europe and Asia and possibly infiltrate the U.S. So they made organizations like NATO, a mutual defense pack.
* How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
Although Europe did experience a recovery in their economy, it is still not entirely clear if it was all due to the Marshall Plan.
* Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
Yes, I think it was inevitable. They were both two powerful countries who wanted to be the next Superpower. When there are two, powerful countries with such different values, there is bound to be some sort of conflict. And it was soon after WWII, at a time where people were paranoid and fearful. They needed a scapegoat, and communism seemed a good option to Americans. The two countries also had access to nuclear weapons, and since fear and tensions were so high at the time, it was bound to happen.
-Emily Levesque
Damon What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteI think that the soviet union feels it had it worse then the U.S. and that they are both trying to have there ideas and beliefs be the main government. but the soviet union feels that its ideas are peaceful aspirations. also the relationships gets worse. for example the soviets get upset with U.S. from the hole berlin situation.
What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The European countries economies and division of labor is breaking down and people aren't getting the things that they need like food and clothing. So they said that they would provide assistance to any countries affected by the war and that all countries in need could get help. but they could only get it if they all agreed on certain requirements.
Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
I think that the Soviets are more to blame for it because they took the intuitive in building the wall which showed there
How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
by building a wall to separate the two sides this was a way for them to show where there influence was
Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
the soviets actions were selfish because they did it so as not to be part of the western countries part of Berlin. and the western part wasn't because they weren't the ones to decide to do it but they went a long with it because it if they opposed it that would have been a reason for war to start and they didn't want that
What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
the us made the marshal plan to help the countries with bad economies by hekping them better it they were less vulnerable to communism
Why containment?
they used containment to stop the spread of communism.
How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
i think that it was successful and not successful. it was successful in the way that it gave support and aid to other European counties that wanted and needed it. but i think it made the situation between the soviets and the U.S. worse. by the soviets not accepting the rules and the aid from the U.S. that was basically saying they didn't want to be part of them or be associated with them. and that just made more tension.
Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
i think there was bound to be some conflict. after world war 2 there were two main super powers the united states and the soviet union. both had different ideas on how things were to be done and they both wanted there ideas to be put in place. in any situations were there are two strong sides there is going to be conflict and disagreement so i think it was inevitable.
Carly: 1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. was the “superpower,” a big and strong country with not a lot of damage. The Soviet however, was similar to Germany and had the most dead. It was a battle between the U.S. and the Soviet. The Soviet wanted Berlin.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The announcement of the Truman Doctrine in 1947 and the Marshall plan led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The The U.S. tried preventing the USSR from expanding its country beyond area under the Red Army Control.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
If the Soviets weren’t so “power hungry,” the Cold War would not have necessary started. Because Russia was left with nothing after World War ll, they tried everything to gain more power. However, the United States did not want this to happen so they made sure Russia didn’t gain power. The US was only try to prevent Russia from spreading communist rule and taking over the control of countries. We provided support to other countries to rebuild, while benefiting us.
4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The Cold War was different than most wars. The U.S. and the Soviet Union did not fight one another. The Red Army was present in the countries that bordered Russia, and were able to take over countries that had weak governments. The US decided to support other countries, in order to gain alliances and and help ourselves.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
No, the United States was trying to help other countries rebuild after World War ll, and gain alliances. But, the Soviets were just trying to gain more power and take over other weaker countries.
6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The economic dislocation, or weak economy, would expand communism.
7. Why containment?
When the Soviet Union would go into a country and assert its power and try to gain control, the United States would also go into that country and make sure the USSR did not get control. The US contained Russia from gaining power by providing money to the countries to help improve their government and economy, and rebuild their country. Russia knew they could not compete, having been left with very little money, so they backed down. The U.S. didn’t want to spread communism. To maintain tension without violence.
8. How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
The Marshal Plan was successful in trying to “rebuild Europe” after World War ll. It opened doors for Europe, and helped lead to one day European Union. It also benefited the United States, because it boosted our economy and helped our trade.
9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
No, because Russia was so weak after World War ll, they were trying anything to gain power. However, the U.S. was absolutely not going to let that happen. It was bound to happen.
IAN: 1. The state of the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States revealed in these articles was very tense, because what had been a more even relationship between two powerful countries had started leaning toward the United States, because the German invasion and the harshness of Stalin’s own rule had undermined the Soviet Union, while other than Pearl Harbor the United States had hardly been touched. Stalin says that over 7,000,000 of his country’s citizens have died fighting Hitler, many times more than the U.S. and Britain combined. He wants defense in case anything like this war should happen again. His goals are therefore different from the US goals. He wants a strong army and military relations with the countries around his, to ensure his defense and the USSR’s safety. The US on the other hand would spend reparation money to make Europe more economically stable, because then it would be easier for European countries to be democratic allies of the US and to become economic allies as well. 2. The onset of the Cold War was encouraged by the tensions over the fate of Germany and Berlin but more deelply by the clash in political systems between the US and other democracies and the USSR. The USSR followed the communist belief in government control of all things – economy and politics – while the US was constantly pushing its democratic agenda, particularly in Germany. The tensions finally overflowed when the US asked the European nations to comply with its Marshall Plan, an idea that if these countries that agreed would follow democracy, the US would pay them generously to get their economies back on a productive, even keel. The USSR assumed this would undermine its security, because the US would gain allies through economic aid for a system the USSR did not believe in. The USSR therefore became more hostile, and showed this by trying to take all of Berlin for itself and close off all supplies to the allied-controlled part of the city. The Berlin Airlift showed the Soviets that the allies would not abandon their control or ideals.
ReplyDelete3. I think both the US and the USSR shared equal fault in the starting of the Cold War. The US, because of the fact that it truly knew nothing of the experience and fears of Europe and could not relate to the USSR was a new country, compared to the US, having been created only in 1917 after pushing out the czar and creating a communist state. It had greater insecurities compared to the US. Communism was very young, and when the US seemed to be asking it to change its government for the second time in a half century they reacted violently against it, which is where the USSR’s fault comes in. Russia refused to accept that the US way of life could possibly help them. The US was willing to help the USSR get back on economic track and would undoubtedly have helped them achieve military security as well. But the USSR could not accept this. It would only go its own way. Once these positions were solidified, and both countries knew the other would not changes its mind, the Cold War had started, even if not officially.
IAN: 4. The Soviet Union created its sphere of influence by force, by imposing its law and way of life on other countries and governments, while the US used other tactical efforts, such as the Marshall Plan. The US tried to used talks and discussions, not military action as the USSR used. The founding of the United Nations is an example. This was established to bring nations together to discussion international issues, and the US used it as a means of making its views known.
ReplyDelete5. The decision of whether the two sides’ actions were selfish or selfless seems to come down completely to opinion. If you are a communist, then Russia’s actions seem entirely selfless but the US’s seem entirely selfish. On the other hand, if you are a democrat, the US’s actions would seem selfless, but those of Russia would seem selfish. Really both had both motives. One of America’s main goals was to help Europe enjoy the benefits of democracy, but another was to gain a great trading partner so we could enjoy the economic benefits of a secure Europe – one part of their goals was selfish, in other words, but the other part was selfless. The same could be said of the USSR. On the one hand, Russia just wanted security for its country, which was falling apart having been decimated by the war; on the other hand, the way it went about spreading its beliefs was entirely wrong, using force to try to win countries to its beliefs and system, however they might want to live and govern themselves. In other words, the USSR was both selfless and selfish.
6. Because of economic dislocation, the farmers were not producing food for the general population, only for themselves. The communists decided to take control of the farms and force the farmers to produce more food. The Marshall Plan was meant to go against this pattern by trying to help other countries to convert to democracy and strengthen their economy so that the modern system of division of labor between farms and industry would not break down.
IAN:
ReplyDelete7. Containment was an agenda used by the United States and other democracies to quell the spread of communism. The reason containment came into being was because the US want to halt the spread of the soviets’ ideas before Russia gained too much power. After the war it seems that people in Europe were frightened, and the US and USSR both thought they would turn to and follow the most powerful country. America tried to contain, and Russian tried to expand.
8. The Marshall Plan was in some ways successful and in other ways not. To speak about the good, it did help France, Britain, Italy, and especially Germany, but others as well, from turning to communism. Germany is today one of the strongest and richest democracies in Europe. However, the plan never did reach its goal of eradicating communism completely. Places like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia fell completely under soviet control and remained under it until the fall of communism in 1989.
9. I believe that with the intense differences in politic systems between the United States and the Soviet Union that some kind of conflict was ultimately inevitable. Both countries were intolerant of the other’s views and needs, which kept tensions running high and prevented both countries from ever letting their guards down for a moment. To say the least, we should be happy that it was not a full blown war, especially because of the fact that both countries To say the least, we should be happy that it was not a full blown war, especially because of the fact that both countries possessed nuclear weapons. possessed nuclear weapons
SLAW
ReplyDelete1. I think the impression of the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that is conveyed through these texts is that there is an enormous amount of tension and no common ground between the two countries. They continually fight over these issues and both countries aren't leaving much room for compromise. This is exemplified by Stalin's claim of Churchill having similar qualities that Hitler had as a leader.
2. The different views and extremist behaviors relating to these views were definitely big factors of why the Cold War was initiated, but it took more than that to create this huge dispute. The Soviet Union obviously felt disrespected when the U.S. started to ignore them with the Marshall plan and the division of Germany. This accumulated the tension and gave the dispute enough momentum to birth the Cold War.
3. I don't think either country should have more blame then the other for the Cold War's occurrence. I think it should be equally shared because they both used propaganda in efforts to influence people into joining their country's cause. Each country made an equal amount of faults and each country reacted in an angry way.
4. Both the U.S. "secured their sides" by using propaganda. The U.S. advertised communism and all things in relation to communism as evil, (which included the Soviet Union.) In contrast, the Soviet Union was advertising that the U.S. was an evil, heartless, and hypocritical nation that should not be supported. Also they "secured their sides" by the division of Germany. The U.S. gained popularity and influence on the Western world while the Soviet Union gained influence on small countries within Europe.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
I believe that both countries were very selfish. They both were power-hungry and were doing any possible thing they could to tarnish the image of the "enemy". They didn't care what effect it had on the other country as long as they gained more power and influence. They weren't really looking out for people’s best interest, they just wanted to get them on their side.
6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The connection made between economic dislocation and communism was that whenever the Soviet Union saw a country in Europe that had economic issues, they would target that country and influence them to become a Communist nation.
7. Why containment?
ReplyDeleteContainment was a very helpful tactic to the U.S. It helped keep the influence of the Soviet Union at a minimum and it helped to make sure that it didn't spread anymore than it already had.
8. How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
I think at some points it was successful but at others it didn't serve as being helpful. It was successful in the sense that it gave aid to other European countries who needed it. On the other hand, it wasn't helpful because it made the feud between the U.S. and the Soviet Union worse.
9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
The Cold War, in my opinion, was inevitable. Both countries were extremely power-hungry and had very different ideas as to how to run their countries and they were both very reluctant to compromise. This created a mix tension and stubbornness, which doesn't work. Also, since it was so soon after World War II, countries were still in the mindset that they had to protect and defend themselves and were very paranoid. Therefore, it was very easy to set people off, causing a Cold War - unnecessary but inevitable.
emily magee
ReplyDelete1.What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
The impression that the documents give of U.S.-Soviet relations is a tense one. Stalin compares Churchill to Hitler saying that the English speaking nations plan to control the world. The United States are not only English speaking, but allies with the English and are supplying them with money. Stalin states that the Soviet Union lost more lives than both England and the United States together and he fears that he will have to go to war to fight the English and Americans for the same reason he went to war with Germany.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War?
The Soviet Union feels threatened by the English and the Americans, as allies to the English and in the interest of European reconstruction, are supplying the English with money. The two countries both felt threatened by each other. They were the two strongest countries in the world at that point, the U.S. in particular was very strong. The United States's involvement in Europe worried the Soviet Union because they wanted to be the main power in Europe. The two countries also had opposing ideology which lead to tension and distrust.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
Neither country can be blamed more than the other. There was blatant distrust between the two countries which lead to actions which could be interpreted as hostile. The defensive actions of both countries could also be seen as offensive.
4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The United States used the Marshall plan to send money to western Europe and to have a large part in how Europe was being put back together. The more countries they supplied with help and money the more they had in their sphere of influence. The U.S.S.R. began to help create communist governments in the countries surrounding it, Stalin also had many countries sign Friendship treaties. These countries were not strong enough to resist the Soviet Union. The Iron Curtain was created and the Soviet Union made sure to have control of Eastern Europe.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
There actions weren't entirely selfish. While the U.S.S.R. did want the security of the surrounding countries being communist, Stalin also did believe in this form of government. He may have believed he was aiding this countries. The United States did want some control in Europe and they knew the world would collapse without the strength of the countries in Europe, but they did not just supply money in their own interest but in the interest of the countries receiving it.
What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these documents, you will have a better understanding of the tension and conflicts between the US and the USSR. They did not have a good relationship; both powers are looking for an edge over their opponent. It was a power and progressive relationship. The U.S. was overall more powerfully, especially in the field of advancement of technology. An example would be when the U.S. created and started to use nuclear weapons. The USSR felt pressured to advance their weaponry to compete with the US. The US and the Soviets were in war for the power in Europe.
What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The clashing of politics caused the Cold War. Both countries felt like there political ideology were better then there opponent. Communist (USSR) and Capitalists (US) are two very opposite ideology so naturally the two countries clashed. Both countries were trying to out do the other due to the fact they were the major axis powers. The space race and the nuclear arms race are examples how the powers were constantly competing.
Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
In my opinion, I believe that both countries should be equally held accountable for the Cold War. The Soviets were enforcing communism on other countries and trying to spread it. The US was trying to create accomplish European Recovery and to maintain their reputation and the powerful US perception. The US did this so they could stop the flow of Communism and also to make profit. It takes two to tango so I believe no one power is at fault
How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
There was a lot of time spent between the US and the USSR trying to secure their sides. Both countries took different approaches. The USSR would forcibly invade other countries and force communism upon the country. Countries like Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, and more. The US would go to countries that opposed the thought of communism and then would preach democracy. Both powers wanted countries to follow there lead.
Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
I believe that their actions were mostly selfish. The US and the USSR were both thriving to be the highest power world wide. They both were just looking for expansion and power. In their conquest to gain allies, they over looked weaker countries in order to achieve more power. They wanted allies because the more allies one had on their side, the better chance they had at winning the fight against communism and democracy. They definitely were not being selfless.
What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The connection between economic dislocation and communism is that the US believed that if western europe would fail economically, the US would stand a better chance for them to be taken over by the Soviets. This is why the US came up with the Marshall Plan that would help correct the economic dislocation and stop the flow of communism. The Marshall Plan is a finical aid plan that the US would offer to western european countries to prevent Soviet takeover. Italy and France were the main focus of the plan. US wanted to receive the money back by trade and more to benefit the american economy.
Why containment?
ReplyDeleteThe US mostly used containment. The US used containment to stop the flow of spreading communism throughout Europe. This would prevent the USSR from becoming the more powerful. George Kennan used the term containment. He felt they need to be contained due to their rough and angry behavior.
How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
When it came to improving the economy of europe, the Marshal Plan was a successful one. It allowed europe to rebuild itself. The Countries that were involved in this plan were improved economically. The US benefited greatly because the money that they used to fund the Marshal Plan was eventually returned to them.
Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
I believe that the Cold War was inevitable because both countries we just too power hungry and head strong. It all comes down to the different political ideologies. They both clash and are totally different. Both were forcing their own to other countries and the other country did not like it. The USSR was trying to rule the world and the US would and could not let that ever happen. The USSR knew that its biggest and pretty much only competition was the US, so basically it was inevitable that the Cold War would happen.
MIA:
ReplyDelete1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
The impression of the U.S.-Soviet relationship conveyed in these documents is a highly tense and competitive one. There is a constant power-struggle between these two countries involving a range of nuclear weapons to simply overall who's the dominant force. The US has always been higher in power and quicker with creations, which keeps the Soviet Union going, constantly trying to outdo the U.S. Both of these countries see the other as an enemy, however if they were to change that to an ally, they might, together, be able to create a force stronger than any force existing at the moment.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
There are a few main actions and responses that were taken by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. One of the first was that the Soviets got an atomic bomb. This triggered the US to want to be further in their knowledge and possessions of atomic weapons. Then the U.S.S.R. became allies with China, which made the U.S. grow more power-hungry than before. Next, the U.S. created NATO, and in response, the U.S.S.R. created the Warsaw Pact. Throughout the entire Cold War, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had an ongoing competition of who could be the more advanced country in every aspect.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
Neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union is more to blame. Both countries played a part in the initiation and continuation of the war. The U.S. contributed by becoming involved because they were begged to by their allies, instead of remaining out of a war that they weren't initially a part of technically. The Soviet Union contributed by being power-hungry and getting caught up in trying to out-do the U.S.
4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The U.S. and the Soviet Union secured their sides using different methodology. The U.S. used propaganda to convince other countries that they were the country to be allies with and trust. They also used propaganda to spread their ideas, such as anti-communism. The more people listened to their propaganda, the more it spread and the more their ideas were heard and listened to. The U.S.S.R. chose to take a different approach. Their approach was establishing their fighting techniques and showing that they were not a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the U.S. the Soviet Union spread communism as a good idea to believe, and by believing in it, the countries would prosper.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
The U.S's actions were majorly selfless. One of the main reasons they became involved in the war in the first place was because their allies were asking for their help, and they wanted to help rebuild those countries that had fallen apart due to WWII. They were acting out in some ways in order to keep ahead of the Soviet Union, however, without staying strong against the U.S.S.R, they wouldn't be able to help their allies. The Soviet Union's actions were, for the most part, majorly selfish. From what I've read, they were more concerned with trying to out-do the U.S. Many of their actions, such as making the atomic bomb, were done mainly to try to get ahead in their ever-lasting competition with the U.S. When answering this question, one must keep in mind the fact that a country must be at least slightly selfish in warfare in order to keep their stability so as not to fall apart.
MIA: 1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThe impression of the U.S.-Soviet relationship conveyed in these documents is a highly tense and competitive one. There is a constant power-struggle between these two countries involving a range of nuclear weapons to simply overall who's the dominant force. The US has always been higher in power and quicker with creations, which keeps the Soviet Union going, constantly trying to outdo the U.S. Both of these countries see the other as an enemy, however if they were to change that to an ally, they might, together, be able to create a force stronger than any force existing at the moment.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
There are a few main actions and responses that were taken by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. One of the first was that the Soviets got an atomic bomb. This triggered the US to want to be further in their knowledge and possessions of atomic weapons. Then the U.S.S.R. became allies with China, which made the U.S. grow more power-hungry than before. Next, the U.S. created NATO, and in response, the U.S.S.R. created the Warsaw Pact. Throughout the entire Cold War, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had an ongoing competition of who could be the more advanced country in every aspect.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
Neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union is more to blame. Both countries played a part in the initiation and continuation of the war. The U.S. contributed by becoming involved because they were begged to by their allies, instead of remaining out of a war that they weren't initially a part of technically. The Soviet Union contributed by being power-hungry and getting caught up in trying to out-do the U.S.
4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The U.S. and the Soviet Union secured their sides using different methodology. The U.S. used propaganda to convince other countries that they were the country to be allies with and trust. They also used propaganda to spread their ideas, such as anti-communism. The more people listened to their propaganda, the more it spread and the more their ideas were heard and listened to. The U.S.S.R. chose to take a different approach. Their approach was establishing their fighting techniques and showing that they were not a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the U.S. the Soviet Union spread communism as a good idea to believe, and by believing in it, the countries would prosper.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
The U.S's actions were majorly selfless. One of the main reasons they became involved in the war in the first place was because their allies were asking for their help, and they wanted to help rebuild those countries that had fallen apart due to WWII. They were acting out in some ways in order to keep ahead of the Soviet Union, however, without staying strong against the U.S.S.R, they wouldn't be able to help their allies. The Soviet Union's actions were, for the most part, majorly selfish. From what I've read, they were more concerned with trying to out-do the U.S. Many of their actions, such as making the atomic bomb, were done mainly to try to get ahead in their ever-lasting competition with the U.S. When answering this question, one must keep in mind the fact that a country must be at least slightly selfish in warfare in order to keep their stability so as not to fall apart.
MIA:
ReplyDelete1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
The impression of the U.S.-Soviet relationship conveyed in these documents is a highly tense and competitive one. There is a constant power-struggle between these two countries involving a range of nuclear weapons to simply overall who's the dominant force. The US has always been higher in power and quicker with creations, which keeps the Soviet Union going, constantly trying to outdo the U.S. Both of these countries see the other as an enemy, however if they were to change that to an ally, they might, together, be able to create a force stronger than any force existing at the moment.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
There are a few main actions and responses that were taken by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. One of the first was that the Soviets got an atomic bomb. This triggered the US to want to be further in their knowledge and possessions of atomic weapons. Then the U.S.S.R. became allies with China, which made the U.S. grow more power-hungry than before. Next, the U.S. created NATO, and in response, the U.S.S.R. created the Warsaw Pact. Throughout the entire Cold War, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had an ongoing competition of who could be the more advanced country in every aspect.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
Neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union is more to blame. Both countries played a part in the initiation and continuation of the war. The U.S. contributed by becoming involved because they were begged to by their allies, instead of remaining out of a war that they weren't initially a part of technically. The Soviet Union contributed by being power-hungry and getting caught up in trying to out-do the U.S.
4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
The U.S. and the Soviet Union secured their sides using different methodology. The U.S. used propaganda to convince other countries that they were the country to be allies with and trust. They also used propaganda to spread their ideas, such as anti-communism. The more people listened to their propaganda, the more it spread and the more their ideas were heard and listened to. The U.S.S.R. chose to take a different approach. Their approach was establishing their fighting techniques and showing that they were not a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the U.S. the Soviet Union spread communism as a good idea to believe, and by believing in it, the countries would prosper.
1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThe impression of the U.S.-Soviet relationship conveyed in these documents is a highly tense and competitive one. There is a constant power-struggle between these two countries involving a range of nuclear weapons to simply overall who's the dominant force. The US has always been higher in power and quicker with creations, which keeps the Soviet Union going, constantly trying to outdo the U.S. Both of these countries see the other as an enemy, however if they were to change that to an ally, they might, together, be able to create a force stronger than any force existing at the moment.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
There are a few main actions and responses that were taken by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. One of the first was that the Soviets got an atomic bomb. This triggered the US to want to be further in their knowledge and possessions of atomic weapons. Then the U.S.S.R. became allies with China, which made the U.S. grow more power-hungry than before. Next, the U.S. created NATO, and in response, the U.S.S.R. created the Warsaw Pact. Throughout the entire Cold War, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had an ongoing competition of who could be the more advanced country in every aspect.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
Neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union is more to blame. Both countries played a part in the initiation and continuation of the war. The U.S. contributed by becoming involved because they were begged to by their allies, instead of remaining out of a war that they weren't initially a part of technically. The Soviet Union contributed by being power-hungry and getting caught up in trying to out-do the U.S.
Mia:4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. and the Soviet Union secured their sides using different methodology. The U.S. used propaganda to convince other countries that they were the country to be allies with and trust. They also used propaganda to spread their ideas, such as anti-communism. The more people listened to their propaganda, the more it spread and the more their ideas were heard and listened to. The U.S.S.R. chose to take a different approach. Their approach was establishing their fighting techniques and showing that they were not a force to be reckoned with. Unlike the U.S. the Soviet Union spread communism as a good idea to believe, and by believing in it, the countries would prosper.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
The U.S's actions were majorly selfless. One of the main reasons they became involved in the war in the first place was because their allies were asking for their help, and they wanted to help rebuild those countries that had fallen apart due to WWII. They were acting out in some ways in order to keep ahead of the Soviet Union, however, without staying strong against the U.S.S.R, they wouldn't be able to help their allies. The Soviet Union's actions were, for the most part, majorly selfish. From what I've read, they were more concerned with trying to out-do the U.S. Many of their actions, such as making the atomic bomb, were done mainly to try to get ahead in their ever-lasting competition with the U.S. When answering this question, one must keep in mind the fact that a country must be at least slightly selfish in warfare in order to keep their stability so as not to fall apart.
6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The connection that was made between economic dislocation and communism was the fact that if a country wasn't doing well economically, communism would appear to be a good idea. This is true because having communism act on their economy would mean everyone would be in the same place economically. As one can see, this would only be a smart choice for countries in which the majority of the people were suffering economically. To countries who had the majority of the people possessing a lot of money this would seem like a bad idea because by balancing out the money, the rich would lose more than the poor would gain.
MIA: 7. Why containment?
ReplyDeleteContainment was a way for the U.S. to try to keep communism and acts of communism in the U.S.S.R. and out of their territories. By keeping it there, the U.S. had the greater chance of spreading their own ideas of anti-communism and therefore gaining control of more land than the Soviet Union.
8. How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
The Marshal Plan was both successful and unsuccessful. This plan brought together Western Europe and gave them a sense that reconstruction was underway. However, the Marshal Plan didn't solve the serious balance of payments problem.
9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
The Cold War was inevitable. With two countries that posses different parochial opinions that they aren't willing to give up, there is bound to be conflict. In addition to their opposed views on communism, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were in a competition of their own to be the greater power, both in knowledge and land. Each country was stubborn in regards to their views and weren't willing to compromise in the least bit, even if it meant having the potential to prevent a war. The fact that the U.S. and the Soviet Union were both strong forces that did not share common ideas on how to run countries, meant a war was inevitably in their future.
DAVID: 1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?
ReplyDeleteThese readings help convey a clear picture of the U.S.-Soviet relations in the early years of the cold war, which is to say, a very tense one. Both sides were extremely biased in their views and approaches, ex; In Stalin’s (speech?) he declares that England, and through direct lines, America are impeding the future security of peace. This tension and bias is due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: 1. The corresponding importance in Europe emphasized by both nations 2. The omnipresence of tensions between socialist and capitalist regimes 3. The habitual Russian inferiority complex.
2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
As stated in the question, the Cold War was prompted by a number of preemptive actions taken by both sides. This is important to note as the rest of the war tended to follow this same course of actions and reactions. To answer the above question though... There are many preemptive actions that lead to the Cold War, stretching back to World War Two. It could be argued that the race to Berlin and the subsequent round-up of German scientists and technology was the first inkling of tensions, or rather, ‘one-upmanship’ for the Cold War. This was followed by the quartering of Germany and Berlin, then the Berlin Blockade and Airlift. Next was the creation of NATO and the opposing Warsaw Pact. Finally, the indirect Soviet support of the Greek revolution and the reactionary Truman Doctrine.
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?
While I think that both nations are to blame for the Cold War, perhaps through my patriotism, I believe that the USSR is more at fault than the US. In more cases, I see the USSR as the aggressors that they are. Following World War Two, the USSR was quick to try and reestablish its superiority. In doing so, they attempted aggressive maneuvers and power-plays as a way of ‘flexing their muscles’. Seen as legitimate threats by the US and her allies, they reacted time and time again to try and contain what they saw as a rampant eastern nation.
DAVID: 4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the contradicting ways in which the US and the USSR secured their allies and ‘allies’- respectively. The US used diplomacy and the Marshall Plan to secure its allies in western Europe. This worked as it showed true American investment in the region and proved to the western Europeans that the Americans were on ‘their team’. Contrarily, the USSR used subjugation and cloak and dagger tactics to ‘win over’ their ‘allies’ in Eastern Europe. This worked for awhile as it scared or convinced the populace to agree with the USSR. Yet, this was not sustainable as it offered no tangible benefit, and in the end, angered the populace.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?
I believe that the actions taken by the US and the USSR were neither entirely selfish or selfless, rather, a convenient mix of both. For the US, the Marshall plan was a selfless act to rebuild war-torn Europe, but had possible intentions of securing support for Americans. Acting in defense of itself, the US decided that the best way to do that was to ‘wine and dine’ western Europe. For the USSR, I believe that it is harder to gauge. They acted so as to protect themselves, and in the process ended up ‘annexing’ -usually against the will of the greater populace- many eastern European nations.
6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?
The connection I see is not necessarily a connection between economic dislocation and communism, but rather, economic dislocation and fascism/dictatorship. The connection is that the latter usually follows the former. This was the fear that drove the US to enact many economic subsidizing plans for western Europe and other nations facing such adversities following World War Two. The US feared that if nations could not put themselves back on their own feet, then it was inevitable that they would fall to fascists and dictators similar to the fate of Weimar Germany.
DAVID: 7. Why containment?
ReplyDeleteContainment was seen as the best recourse in combating the USSR during the Cold War. It was early surmised that communism was unsustainable in the USSR. Seeing this, the US saw that it could take advantage of the USSR’s quest for superiority by putting the USSR into an internal war of attrition, eventually leading to its collapse and subsequent capitulation.
8. How "successful" was the Marshal Plan?
As noted by the quotation around ‘successful’, success is in the eyes of the beholder. In the eyes of the US, the Marshal Plan was wildly successful. First off, it accomplished its goal of securing the alliance of western Europe through philanthropic efforts. Second, it helped bolster the American economy even further as it opened up more trade routes, agreements and relations between Europe and America. Lastly, it helped by effectively putting a split between the infrastructure of NATO countries and Warsaw Pact countries.
9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?
I believe that while the Cold War was not inevitable, minor ‘cold skirmishes’ were. Had better safeguards been in place to prevent the power grab left in the void of Germany, then I think that there would not have been such a drastic build-up of tensions. That being said, I do think that it was inevitable that there would be minor clashes between the victors as everything settled, shifted, and finally cooled down.
SAM:What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why? U.S. – Soviet relations are extremely tense. Stalin has compared English-speaking countries to the horrific dictatorship that the Allies just defeated, and compares capitalism to fascism. Stalin does everything he can in his speech to convince his people that the west is dangerous, and without any form of a counter-argument or realistic view of the west, his argument can be extremely compelling. Stalin is infuriated and offended by the Iron Curtain Speech and via propaganda, is giving the Soviet Union the idea that the west is evil. The United States is much less direct or straightforward about speaking ill of their soon to be enemies. Marshall uses phrases like “the very mass of facts presented to the public by press and radio make it exceedingly difficult for the man in the street to reach a clear appraisement of the situation” which, in effect, tell the American people to have their guards up, but not nearly aggressively as the Soviet view of their opposition. This, in part is because the first vocal act of aggression from the west is delivered in the Iron Curtain speech by Churchill, of Britain. This means that American tension towards the USSR is not fully developed.
ReplyDelete2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The actions taken by the U.S. towards the Soviet Union are very passive-aggressive in nature, but considerably more aggressive than the Soviet Union’s maligning of the United States in Stalin’s response to the Iron Curtain speech. In essence, what the U.S. does is give money to any country not affiliated with the USSR. This naturally, especially after the damages caused to the USSR during World War II, would cause an aggressive reaction. Unlike the passive aggression displayed by the U.S., the USSR, namely Stalin, directly and openly compares the English and Americans to Nazis. Although more direct, and more offensive at first glance, one can see clearly that the more aggressive action is the exclusion of the USSR from the Marshall Plan
3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not? Neither country is more to blame. Each was fighting for the sole leadership role as the superpower of the world, and neither would share. Both governments brought this war upon themselves, as well as all of the people they hurt while it was “fought.” This is because they were adamant about their beliefs in their form of government, and far beyond doubtful of the opposing system’s ability to function.
Sam:1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why? U.S. – Soviet relations are extremely tense. Stalin has compared English-speaking countries to the horrific dictatorship that the Allies just defeated, and compares capitalism to fascism. Stalin does everything he can in his speech to convince his people that the west is dangerous, and without any form of a counter-argument or realistic view of the west, his argument can be extremely compelling. Stalin is infuriated and offended by the Iron Curtain Speech and via propaganda, is giving the Soviet Union the idea that the west is evil. The United States is much less direct or straightforward about speaking ill of their soon to be enemies. Marshall uses phrases like “the very mass of facts presented to the public by press and radio make it exceedingly difficult for the man in the street to reach a clear appraisement of the situation” which, in effect, tell the American people to have their guards up, but not nearly aggressively as the Soviet view of their opposition. This, in part is because the first vocal act of aggression from the west is delivered in the Iron Curtain speech by Churchill, of Britain. This means that American tension towards the USSR is not fully developed.
ReplyDelete2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War
The actions taken by the U.S. towards the Soviet Union are very passive-aggressive in nature, but considerably more aggressive than the Soviet Union’s maligning of the United States in Stalin’s response to the Iron Curtain speech. In essence, what the U.S. does is give money to any country not affiliated with the USSR. This naturally, especially after the damages caused to the USSR during World War II, would cause an aggressive reaction. Unlike the passive aggression displayed by the U.S., the USSR, namely Stalin, directly and openly compares the English and Americans to Nazis. Although more direct, and more offensive at first glance, one can see clearly that the more aggressive action is the exclusion of the USSR from the Marshall Plan
SAM:3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not? Neither country is more to blame. Each was fighting for the sole leadership role as the superpower of the world, and neither would share. Both governments brought this war upon themselves, as well as all of the people they hurt while it was “fought.” This is because they were adamant about their beliefs in their form of government, and far beyond doubtful of the opposing system’s ability to function.
ReplyDelete4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence? Each country created their “sphere” by physically blockading, building walls, and/or getting other countries to watch or close their borders. The U.S. and USSR both made alliances in some form or another with each European country, in effect causing a line segment to be drawn further separating east and west. This manifested itself as the Iron Curtain that Churchill described in his speech.
5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless? The actions of both the Soviet Union and the United States were completely selfish. They each wanted to have their monetary and government system imposed upon other countries and the each also wanted to be the leading country in their system of government.
SAM: 6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism? Communism is the best way to define economic dislocation, because it almost always ends up in a corrupt dictatorship or before it can become a dictatorship, the government is overthrown. Economic dislocation is the difference between what the ideal is, and what actually happens economically. The USSR had a baseline level of people living under the ideals of communism, but there was an upper class headed by Stalin and the administration of the USSR.
ReplyDelete7. Why containment? Containment of communism was an effective way of not going to war with the Soviet Union. It allowed for the creation of proxy wars by needing competing US/USSR intervention in the proxy war countries such as Korea, Afghanistan, and many more.
8. How "successful" was the Marshal Plan? The Marshal plan, in terms of repairing Europe, was not extremely successful, but the money did help the Europeans psychologically very much. It made them more hopeful and inspired about Europe’s reconstruction. The money was not very well spent, but the gesture helped unite America and western Europe.
9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not? After the division of Germany at the Yalta conference, the tension between the two westerners of the Big Three and Stalin was too great for there to not be some sort of dispute over the territory control and economic state of each of the countries. When combined with the clashing economic systems, capitalism and communism, and the propaganda from each side about the other system, neither of the two superpowers, as long as they could do something about it, would let the other economic system flourish. A war was inevitable; however the details of how it would be fought could vary.