The origins and early development of the Cold War

Jack Usher U6M2

General Introduction and Background

o USA, Britain and USSR has been allied against Nazi Germany, Fascist
Italy and Japan in WWII.
o This alliance collapsed after 1945.
o Saw a power struggle between the superpowers (USA & USSR) up until
the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
o The defeat of Nazi Germany left a power vacuum in Europe in 1945.
o The tensions that emerged were due to the attempts of the USA and
USSR to fill this vacuum.
USSR saw control of Eastern Europe as a buffer from the capitalist
West.
USA saw it necessary to stop the spread of Communism in Europe.
o An attitude of misunderstanding and distrust heightened hostilities.
Also lead to a greater division between East and West Europe.
The seeds of conflict 1941-5 (overview).
o The international tension between the USA and USSR dominated
international relations for over 40 years.
o Seeds of conflict were in existence before 1939, WWII only temporarily
smoothed over this animosity.
o The issue of the power vacuum immediately after 1945 caused initial
tensions to bubble to the surface.
What differences in ideology were there between Capitalism and Communism?
o Bolshevik power seizure in 1917 saw the establishment of the first
socialist state.
Represented the fears of the West: a threat to liberal democracy
and capitalism (in essence a threat to Western freedoms).
o Underlying conflict was between ideologies.
o Economic differences.
Communism: Abolishment of private property to resolve class
divisions. Process of nationalization for fairer distribution of goods.
Centrally planned economy, atheist.
Capitalism: Minimum government involvement in economy.
Nationalization struck fear into property owners wealth and
status would be jeopardized. Personal wealth and entrepreneurism
encouraged. The American Dream.
o Political differences.
Liberal Democracies: System was important since it upheld
freedom, e.g. freedom of speech. Made government accountable to
its people, and gave people political choice.
Communist State: Political parties represent engrained class
divisions. A classless society needs no parties, thus Communist
Party ruled in interests of its people. Basic freedoms of the West
under threat.
o Issue of the world domination plan of Communism, which the USA
feared.
USSR set up Comintern to consolidate Communist spread and
operations abroad.
Its role was to set up Communist organizations and to
support them in their effort to undermine capitalism.

Inherently hostile ideology emphasis on single-party state and

control was scary.
Hostility of the West toward Communism had been seen in the
Russian Civil War, during which Allied, western, resources
supported the Whites.
Experience
highlighted
how
the
West
would
use
interventionist military tactics to combat the spread of
Communism.
Tensions in the 1930s.
o Relations between the West and the USSR were poor throughout WWII,
with consequences when Hitler threatened war in the 1930s.
o USSR refused to honour war debts.
Nationalisation had lost value of foreign investments; pressure was
put on France to recover these losses.
o Personal outrage of Britain with assassination of Tsar Nicholas.
o Any mutual front against Hitler was undermined by mistrust and hostility.
o Britain and Frances policy of appeasement raised Soviet suspicions
about their commitment.
o Stalin wanted an alliance with Hitler to limit the likelihood of an invasion
of the USSR; result was Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 (Munich Agreement
(1938) & Non Aggression Pact (1939)).
Alliance of convenience gave USSR parts of Poland and bought
them time.
However, this raised Western suspicions as to Soviet loyalty.
Strains in the Grand Alliance.
o Grand Alliance was formed in the face of the Nazi invasion of the USSR
and the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour.
o USSR, USA and Britain were allied against Fascist Italy, Japan and Nazi
by the end of 1941.
o Temporary friendship, previous hostilities only swept under the carpet.
o Churchill recognised the war could only be won with Soviet help, so he
went first to Stalins aid after the Nazi invasion.
Mutual respect of each other.
o Roosevelt was a realist he knew the Big Three could never agree on
post-war issues.
o The three met a Tehran in November 1943 to agree on several issues
such as Poland, but divisions continued.
What were the strains in the Grand Alliance?
o The Second Front: The USSR had borne the brunt of the fighting in
WWII on the Eastern Front, and his key concern was h security of the
USSR. He wanted a Second Front opened in the West, but Britain and
USA dragged their feet. Stalin began to doubt loyalty.
o The issue of Poland: Britain wanted the protect Poland post-WWII since
it was the cause of British intervention. Yet, it was also key territory for
USSR security. Invasion routed had been through Poland, and there was
a history of hostility (Katyn Forest). Two prospective fled governments
set up in the USSR and London.
o The Warsaw Rising: 1st August 1944, the Poles allied with the London
government rose up against the occupying German forces, and saw an
opportunity to liberate the country before Soviet intervention. Soviets did
not held, and Poles were crushed. Stalin could establish a government to
his liking after the Red Army took Warsaw from the powerless Poles.

o Harry Truman: Uncomfortable with working with the USSR, and much
less of a diplomat than Roosevelt. Huge critic of the Grand Alliance.
o Breaking point: As talk inevitably turned to post-war settlement after
1945, tensions erupted.
The seeds had been sown by 1945 of conflict, which had existed since 1917.
However, Cold War was not yet inevitable, it was the policies of the USSR and
USA toward each other after 1945 that led to the ultimate collapse in relations.