Ideological differences the cause of the Cold War 1941- 1949 Essay Example

on behalf of the people, and a one-party state; a political system in which there is only one political party to represent the people - the communists - and elections were contested between individual members of this party. In contrast to this, in January 1918, the US president Woodrow Wilson issued his Fourteen Points based on the ideals of democracy and capitalism. He promoted the principles of self-determination, open markets and collective security.

The differing ideologies were already set in place. Wilson and Lenin highlighted their countries policies and how each country should maintain their superior set of principles. The importance of a country's ideology can be witnessed here as already, years before the outbreak of the Cold War, the policies of capitalism and the policies of communism stand in direct contrast to each other. This friction between communist Russia and capitalist America stemmed into the 1930s, gradually becoming increasingly apparent and significant as the basis of an ideological battle.

Both sides ideology had been left extremely vulnerable due to the economic devastation of the Great Depression and the famine of the 1930s. Although the Russian propaganda of Stalin's Five Year Plans had rapidly increased industrial output, Soviet Russia was witnessing suffering on a huge scale as millions of peasants were being brutally murdered due to their opposition to collectivisation. In the USA in 1929 the Wall Street Stock Market had crashed triggering a crisis in capitalism. Factories closed down from the lack of product demand and unemployment figures soared.

Both the USSR and the USA were under intense pressure, leaving them all the more susceptible to the other's probably more appealing ideology. The people of Russia were

becoming tired of communism and the people of America were becoming tired of capitalism, each blaming their country's ideology for the destruction and devastation that they were subject to. Everyone wanted a change for the better and the governments of each country were desperate to restrict this desire for political, social and economic modification.

The framework for this ideological conflict which was in place by 1917 became ever-increasingly evident after 1945. The polarisation of communism and capitalism became more and more heightened between the USA and USSR, leaving them joined only by their aim of overthrowing Hitler at the end of the Second World War. George F. Kennan, Deputy Chief of Mission in the US Embassy in Moscow, analysed and summarised the growing hostility between the USSR and the USA; "There can be no possible middle ground or compromise between the two... The two systems cannot even exist in the same world.

Kennan highlights the fact that communism provided a basis of principles that directly opposed those traditionally held in the West. Communism posed a great threat to the power structure of western society, challenging the very nucleus of their democratic and capitalist policies. The conflict between capitalism and communism became inevitable because they represented to completely opposed systems. It can therefore be argued that from this perspective, the ideological difference between the USSR and the USA was incredibly important in the cause of the Cold War, if not the most significant.

The battle of ideologies was something that could not be avoided or resolved with ease. Although the ideological differences were incredibly significant the augmenting lack of trust between the USSR and the USA was also a

major factor in the breakdown of relations between the two superpowers. An alliance simply cannot exist if the foundations of trust and honesty are not present. This lack of trust was caused by various events such as the issue of Poland, the timing of the Second Front and the issue over the atom bomb.

One key strain in the Grand Alliance that increased the lack of trust was over the timing of opening up a Second Front against Germany. Stalin was obviously primarily concerned with the Soviet Union's security and its protection from further aggression in the Second World War. It had already bore the brunt of extensive fighting against Germany and could not continue suffering severe loses in both their human and material resources. What Stalin needed most was for the Grand Alliance to decide upon opening up a second front in western Europe against Germany in order to relieve the pressure on the USSR in the east.

However Britain and the USA refused to cooperate until the time was right and this led to Stalin doubting their motives. He became suspicious that perhaps the USA and Britain wanted to see Nazi Germany defeat Soviet Russia before they defeated Germany. It is therefore evident that the timing of the second front heightened the lack of trust between the USSR and the USA, again a great contribution towards the break down in relations that was the Cold War. Historian Oliver Edwards argues that "the most serious division (between the USA and the USSR) occurred over Poland.

To a certain extent this is true, as the dispute over Poland instigated a significant air of mistrust between the superpowers. At

the Yalta Conference of 1945, the three leaders Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt made various significant agreements. They agreed on the establishment of the United Nations, the division of Germany, Berlin and Austria into temporary zones of occupation, the joining of the Soviet Union in the war against Japan and the principle of free elections in eastern Europe. It was this final policy that instigated these rising tensions between the USA and the USSR.

When the Soviet Red Army liberated Poland from Germany, a communist government was set up, based at Lublin. This was despite the fact that there was a government in exile in London which was ready to return to Poland as soon as it was safe to do so. Stalin agreed to allow members of the London-based government into the new Lublin administration and also to uphold free elections. The West hoped that these promises would reduce the influence of the communists in the government. However, Stalin did not keep these promises and the USA began to question Stalin and the Soviet Union's intentions.

This issue of Poland can be regarded as very important in the deterioration of relations of the Cold War as an attempt at creating peace resulted in Stalin going back on his word and lying to the USA. In order for the two superpowers to behave like allies, trust is essential. A lack of this trust can be detrimental, as there is no faith present in each other's actions and objectives. The issue of Poland may have illustrated the start of bad relations between the USSR and the USA that caused the Cold War.

On 6th August 1945 the Americans exploded their

first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in an attempt to end the war with Japan. Truman was fully aware of the power he automatically gained with such threatening arms behind him; especially with the fact he could not exert extensive pressure on the Soviet Union. It was hoped that Stalin would take notice of the bomb that caused enormous destructive damage and become more amenable in Europe. Stalin saw the failure of Truman to at least inform him of the bomb as a deep insult and, far from making Stalin more amenable, it increased his suspicions and distrust of US motives.

Stalin was, after all, a wartime ally of the USA and it could be argued had a right to be informed. Above all the issue of the atomic bomb heightened the lack of trust and tensions between the two superpowers as an arms race followed, in which instead of working together the two super powers competed to gain the most powerful explosives. The heightened lack of trust was a key cause of the Cold War as both the USA and the USSR doubted the loyalty within their alliance. It was becoming increasingly difficult for both the USA and USSR to trust each other's intentions.

However this lack of trust stemmed from the underlying factor of the ideological battle, leaving the ideological differences between communism and capitalism still more influential and significant than this lack of trust. American Imperialism was also very important in the build up of tension between the USA and the USSR. This revisionist interpretation of American Imperialism blames the American's expansionist policy as the cause of the Cold War. There are various events that

to an extent can be used to justify this interpretation.

For example the Truman Doctrine, Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech and potentially the Marshall Plan can all be interpreted as the Americans being aggressive towards the communist Soviet Union. Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech in March 1946 served as a firmer call for action by the West. Churchill declared that "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent. " Churchill began to alienate the USSR even further by calling for an alliance to be formed between the USA and Britain.

Attlee was not informed of the content of this famous speech yet later thanked Churchill for his words. Truman had read the speech before it was given and was present when it was delivered at Fulton, Missouri in the USA. This speech and the call for a wartime alliance between Britain and the USA was not favoured by the American public. Churchill had stated what Truman had privately thought and it echoed his iron fist approach in which he thought that "unless Russia is faced with an iron fist and strong language another war is in the making.

This approach from both Churchill and Truman can be considered as aggressive and therefore part of this theory of American Imperialism. In March 1947 Truman issued a statement which declared that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. " Truman saw a straightforward choice between two alternatives; communism and democracy. Wherever communist forces were attempting to overthrow a democratically elected government the USA would take

action.

In practice Truman was prepared to support any government providing it was anti-communist. This policy is evidently very anti-communist and is also fairly threatening in nature. In the spring of 1947 George Marshall, the new US Secretary of State travelled through Western Europe and was shocked by the devastation and economic suffering he witnessed. He recognised that economic support and assistance was desperately needed and the result was the launching of the Marshall Plan. While providing much-needed aid for economic recovery and reconstruction, the motives behind Marshall Aid were more than merely humanitarian.

The conditions attached to receiving the aid - to provide economic records and open up their economy to US capitalist interests - were such that it was impossible for communist states to do so without a fundamental change to their system. The Soviet Union and revisionist historians view Marshall Aid as nothing more than an attack on communism, as they needed the funds yet simply could not accept them. Although the USA argue that they had no intention of being aggressive, this issue of Marshall Aid has been seen as part of American Imperialism.

American Imperialism is seen as a crucial part of the breakdown in relations of the Cold War. The revisionist interpretation states that if the Americans had not been aggressive through the Truman Doctrine or the Iron Fist approach or perhaps the Marshall Aid, the problems of the Cold War may not have augmented to such an extent. The specific events of American Imperialism really did contribute a great deal to the heightening tensions of the Cold War. Although the American Imperialism is a significant part in the break down in

relations, the ideological differences still stands as a more important cause of the Cold War.

It is highly likely that again the American Imperialism stemmed from the USA's fear of losing their capitalist system to communist regimes, causing the ideological differences to remain at the core of the Cold War. The Russian threat was also a significant cause of the Cold War and served as a mirror image of the American Imperialism. The orthodox interpretation of the Russian threat states that all the conflicts and crises originated with the Soviet Union and were caused by Russian expansionism.

There are again events that support this interpretation of the Soviet Union being aggressive, for example the Soviet Union's actions in the satellite states, Cominform and Comecon and the Berlin Blockade. The Russian influence in the satellite states in Eastern Europe between 1945 and 1947 was a key part of the threat of Russia. The Soviet Union's Red Army was well placed to exert influence in eastern Europe. Its presence was a source of much anxiety on the part of the West who realised that it provided Stalin with a powerful weapon with which he could enforce his policies on this region.

Sixty Red Army divisions remained in Eastern Europe to fulfil a policing role. Although not directly aimed at the West, these divisions played an important role in imposing communist regimes on the region. Pro-Communist governments were set up in the satellite states of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. In order to ensure communist control over these countries the Soviet Union applied pressure in order to allow communist politicians to hold key positions in the coalition government before elections

were held.

With posts such as that of interior minister, which was responsible for the police force and law and order, in communist hands, elections could then be manipulated to ensure communists controlled the levers of power. To strengthen communist parties, they were often encouraged by Stalin to merge with other, often bigger, socialist groups. By the end of 1947 every state in Eastern Europe was controlled by a communist government, apart from Czechoslovakia. Stalin's actions in the satellite states can be used to also justify the threat of Russia and the way in which they wanted to spread communism world-wide.

This expansionist policy can be interpreted as one of the key causes of the Cold War as it served as a threat to the capitalist ideals of America and almost confirmed the USA's fears that the Soviet Union wanted to gain more and more power. Cominform and Comecon was the USSR's response to the USA's Marshall Aid. They tightened their hold over Eastern Europe by setting up Cominform which was an organisation controlled by the USSR, set up in 1947 to coordinate communist parties throughout Europe. Comecon was an organisation that provided economic assistance to the countries of eastern Europe.

If the Marshall Aid can be considered as part of American Imperialism then these communist organisations can also be seen as part of the Russian threat. These policies can be seen as directly alienating the USA and heightening tensions even more, and therefore can be seen as a significant part of the break down in relations of the Cold War. At the Yalta and Potsdam conferences in 1945 it had been agreed to divide Germany and its

capital city Berlin each into four zones to be administered on a temporary basis by the wartime allies. The western zones were run by Britain, the USA and France.

The eastern zones were run by the USSR. By 1948 the difference in living standards between the East and the West had become increasingly obvious as West Berlin was experiencing much prosperity due to the success of capitalism in a sea of communism. The USA then introduced a new currency in their economy in Berlin and for Stalin this was the final straw and he took action. All road, rail and canal links with West Berlin were severed. The blockade of the city was interpreted by the US government as the first stage of an attack on West Germany.

Although this is unlikely Stalin did want to prevent the emergence of a separate West German state under US influence. The Berlin Blockade served as a key cause of the Cold War and can be interpreted as a significant part of the Russian threat as he tried to starve the West out of Berlin; land that they had a right to be in. This orthodox interpretation of the Russian threat was also incredibly significant in the break down of relations between the USA and the USSR. It was this series of events in which the Soviet Union's actions can be interpreted as aggressive that led to the heightening hostility and tension between the two superpowers.

Although the Russian threat played a key part in causing the break down of relations in the Cold War, it was likely that again it was the result of the ideological differences. The ideological differences

still stood at the core of these conflicts and actions of the Soviet Union; Stalin's Russia did not want to lose communist influence and power and therefore tried to expand into the satellite states, blockaded Berlin and introduced programmes such as Comecon and Cominform.