Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay Example

declining the dealingss between the two powers. doing the definite split of Germany and taking to the eruption of Cold War. demoing how the Berlin encirclement was the turning point in the eruption of Cold War. by which it was the concluding straw that really cemented the Cold War.

Despite the Berlin Blockade being the direct factor that caused the eruption of Cold War. one can non pretermit the factor that really led to the Berlin Blockade: the dissension over the German issue. The German issue was split into two countries: the inquiry of reparations for Russia and the territorial and political boundaries drawn. In footings of reparations. the dealingss between both powers were strained due to the switch of US presidents that resulted in the US traveling back on its word as agreed in the assorted wartime conference. At Yalta. Russian demand for $ 20 billion of reparations from Germany was rejected. with Roosevelt merely allowing $ 10 billion in rule. This nevertheless was rejected yet once more by his replacement. Truman. who was non in favor of it. At Potsdam. the issue was farther aggravated when Truman’s secretary of province Byrnes asked Russia to obtain compensation from its ain zone. which specialized in agribusiness.

The Soviet Union was merely entitled to 25 % of Germany’s industrial equipment and Byrnes feared that Soviet’s demand for high reparation would detain Germany economic recovery at the US taxpayers expense. This increased bitterness. as the Soviets felt compelled to increase its domain of influence over Germany and pull out more resources. This nevertheless was misinterpreted by the US as an expansionist effort made by the Soviets. corroborating their power

hungry image. Based on the above mentioned factor. it is apparent to see how the issue of Germany played a critical function in striving the dealingss between both powers. doing more misunderstanding every bit good as bitterness felt for each other. eventually climaxing in the Cold War.

The dissension over the hereafter of Germany was besides one of the factors that led to the eruption of the Cold War. Stalin wanted the split of Germany to be fixed at the Ode-Nesse line. in which Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed. as it would give Poland excess land at the disbursal of Germany. The presence of Soviet military personnels at the line angered the US because it was seen as a one-sided action taken by the Soviets. and that there should be no “Soviet aggrandisement at Germany’s disbursal. ” This led to the dislocation of the Grand Alliance and facilitated the eruption of the Cold War.

On the other manus. the US besides carried out one-sided actions in Germany doing farther discontentedness. taking to the eruption of the Cold War.

This was seen in the instance of the formation of Bizonia. by which the West wanted to convey the Western zones of Germany into one economic unit. This was to incorporate Western Germany with Western Europe. in hopes of cutting Western Germany off from the Communist East. This move cemented the divider of Germany and was a move that the Soviets disapproved as it would restrict Soviet influence in West Germany. This caused farther tenseness between the two powers. eventually ensuing in the Cold War.

Apart from the issue of Germany. the actions taken by the Soviets every bit good as the

US besides played a critical function in worsening the tensenesss held between both powers. doing the Cold War to interrupt out. For one. Soviet activities in Poland were a combative event. which caused intuition and strain in the relationship between the US and the SU. This brings into inquiry the issue of the security quandary. by which for the Soviets. Poland and Eastern Europe were cardinal to her security. as put through by Stalin as “the inquiry of Poland is non a affair of honor but life and decease. ” Despite obtaining control of the Baltic States and holding the 1918 boundary line with Poland restored. Stalin felt that SU needed friendly provinces around her for security. which required them to be communist.

At Yalta. it was promised that “free elections” would be held in the Eastern European provinces. However. the term “free elections” were different in rule. doing tensenesss. Roosevelt besides refused to officially admit the “Percentages agreement” concluded with Britain in 1944. increasing the clash between both parties. This made Stalin more determined to consolidate control over the Eastern European provinces. in which Stalin reduced the power of the London Poles by increasing communist members in the Lublin commission. rising the tenseness and bitterness. Truman and Byrnes demanded at Potsdam that Stalin have “free elections” in Europe based on how the US interprets the term. such as multi-party and just election. which were rejected by the Soviets. This led to increased split between the Soviets and the US. by which the relationship was placed under great emphasis. which in bend contributed to the eruption of the Cold War.

US actions in Europe besides contributed to

the increasing competition and ill will felt between the two parties. which led to the eruption of the Cold War. The events environing the issue of economic Reconstruction besides played a function in furthering ailment will. taking to the eventual eruption of the Cold War. The United states allowed the aureate chance to work jointly with the Soviets to steal by. in which the US under Truman wanted to foreground the Soviet dependance on the US assistance instead than portraying the Soviet as a worthy spouse. The lend-lease strategy. which the SU was dependent on to reconstruct its economic system. was cancelled in 1945. Congress besides reduced the petition for a 6 billion loan to q 1 billion.

Furthermore. the loan was besides conditional. in which the US demanded unfastened markets to ease the free entree of US goods and rational stuffs into Eastern Europe. This farther heightened the tenseness. as the Soviets interpreted the US actions as “dollar diplomacy” in which the US was utilizing its fiscal place as a manner to rule Soviet economic personal businesss. This caused the SU to revenge by declining to fall in World Bank and IMF. as earlier agreed at the Bretton-Wood meeting due to the decrease in loan. Therefore. the “dollar diplomacy” used by the US served merely to further rise the sadness as it aimed to do the Soviets an antagonist instead than a valuable spouse in the universe phase. puting the models for the eruption of the Cold War.

The development and testing of the atomic bomb and the usage of US atomic diplomatic negotiations besides farther facilitated the oncoming of the Cold War. This was seen

in two events. viz. the release of Japan and atomic diplomatic negotiations. The atomic bomb allowed the US to emancipate Japan without the aid of the Soviets. doing the SU to lose its opportunity in holding a bridgehead in East Asia. This led to declining of dealingss as it went against the Yalta conference where it was agreed upon that the Soviets would hold a manus in the release of Japan.

Furthermore. the Soviets were non consulted sing the issue. Truman besides used the atomic bomb in a command to intimidate Stalin into following with the US demands of holding free elections in Eastern Europe. Stalin nevertheless was undiscouraged and was determined to “catch up” with the US. The US refusal to portion the atomic engineering with the Soviets or set up joint control of the arms as stated in the Baruch Plan besides worsened dealingss as the Soviets began sing the US as a bully. Therefore. the US usage of the atomic bomb in Japan. every bit good as the execution of the “nuclear diplomacy” clearly proved how it worsened the dealingss between the two powers. conveying about the eruption of Cold War.

Leadership alterations in the US in April 1945 from Roosevelt to Truman closed chances for future cooperation and dialogue between the two parties. climaxing in the Cold War. Truman adopted a more hard-line attack sing the traffics with the Soviets. in which he felt that cooperation was impossible. This translated into a non-accommodative attack towards Russia and the rough steps taken by the US in covering with the Soviets. doing the deterioration of dealingss between them. taking to the eruption of the Cold

War.

The US containment policy besides aided in declining the relationship between the US and the SU. doing it to be a direct factor in the eruption of the Cold War. Containment was an attempt taken by the US to curtail communism from distributing farther through the usage of chiefly pecuniary agencies. The two policies. viz. the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were cogent evidence of that. The Truman Doctrine stemmed from the perceptual experience that there was a compelling demand to curtail Soviet influence in Greece and Turkey. This prompted action from Congress. by which 400m was approved for both states. Even though this policy was successful in extinguishing the Soviet influence. it laid the footing for farther Soviet discontent and the eventual Cold War.

The Marshall Plan. which involved the German issue. was besides one of the factors that led to the eruption of the Cold War. The MP extended developmental assistance to all states. in hopes of resuscitating the European economic system. Though it was unfastened to all. the clauses stated by the US were found to be unfavourable to the Soviets. This compelled the SU to fasten its influence on Eastern Europe. giving rise to negative perceptual experiences on both sides. Soviets were besides unhappy with the currency reforms in Western Germany. as stipulated by the MP. which led to the direct cause of the Cold War. the Berlin Blockade. Therefore. it is clear that the Marshall Plan besides contributed to the eruption of the Cold War.

Finally. differing political orientations and authorities system besides perpetuated the eruption of the Cold War. The differing positions and ends of the two different political systems led

to actions that seemed to be at odds and detrimental to the Westerns or Soviet involvements. This led to misconceptions between both sides particularly in respects to foreign policy purposes that culminated into a reaction-counter reaction step. taking to the eruption of the Cold War.

In decision. based on the above-named factors. it is seen that the Berlin Blockade was the direct ground for the eruption of the Cold War. With many factors linked to the Berlin Blockade. such as the Marshall Plan every bit good as the German issue. the statement is hence accurate to that extent. However. other factors must non be neglected. as it was basically the combination of factors that led to the eruption of the Cold War. such as the misunderstandings. conflicting security involvements. willingness to back up armed forces over and above those heeded for defense mechanism intents. every bit good as the “doomsday rhetoric” .