The Cold War
The American Position
The Russian Position
Causes of the Cold War
Fears and Concerns in the Cold War Era
- This war is between communists and democrats
- Americans come out of WWII even richer than before
- Own 20 billion in gold reserves of a world total of 33 billion
- Largest, navy, airforce and monopoly on nuclear weapons
- Largest trading and industry in World
- Influence in Asia and Europe
- 1919 exaggerated
The Russian Position
- Largest army in the world
- Production not at pre-war levels
- Stalin looked inward again and put effort toward communism at home
- Began to influence over satellite states in Eastern Europe
- Many POW's kept on working in Russia
- Show trials returned
Causes of the Cold War
- War of Ideologies
- Communism vs. democracy
- Causes:
- Nationalism- both USA and USSR take actions throughout Cold War to protect their interests
- Imperialism- Many old imperialist nations are gone, USA and USSR take over this role worldwide. (Eg. Vietnam and Afghanistan)
Fears and Concerns in the Cold War Era
- Fears and concerns- WEst feared a Communist revolution worldwide (cominform replaced comintern)
- Russia fears counterrevolution from within helped by money from the west
- The Domino Theory- a metaphor that the USA used to describe the fear of allowing countries to go Communist and then their neighbours would follow course (eg. Southeast asia and Eastern Europe)
- Satellite States and the Iron Curtain- Many Eastern European states (that Russia had occupied) became puppet communist governments.
Summary: America were the financiers of the war.. They also had a monopoly on nuclear weapons and had the largest navy/airforce. America was the ultimate power in every single way. Russia, on the other hand, had the largest army in the world. Russian production was not as high pre-war due to scorched earth. Stalin wanted to spread communism in Europe.
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Quote: "If it hadn't been for the Cold War, neither Russia nor America would have been sending people into space."
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Subjunctive question:
If the americans or the Russians had not been intimidating during the cold war, who could have taken their place? If no country, would the cold war had occurred? |