LESSON 2E – ORIGINS OF THE COLD
WAR
Essential Question
How did the US and the Soviet Union become Cold
War adversaries?
Learning Outcomes - Students will:
• Preview/Review – Who started it?
• Learn about what various historians have said
Success Criteria
I can create a table describing the different
historiographic perspectives on the Origin of the
Cold War
REVIEW/PREVIEW
1. Discuss the essential question
with your partner
How did the US and the Soviet
Union become Cold War
adversaries?
2. Who started the Cold War? If
they started it, could it have
been avoided?
CREATE THIS CHART
Leave about 3 lines for each
Historiographic
Idea
Orthodox
Revisionist
Post-Revisionist
Post-Cold War
Soviet-Orthodox
SovietRevisionist
Balance of
Power
Definition
Context
Example
Historian +
Quote
ORTHODOX VIEW
The Soviet Union was responsible
for the Cold War
When – Pre-Vietnam War
Why?
• Marxist-Leninist Ideology states that
revolution would spread
• The US was simply defending
freedom and democracy with acts
such as the Truman Doctrine,
Marshall Plan and NATO
Historian – Arthur Schlesinger
REVISIONIST
Containment of Communism was driven
by the need to secure markets and free
trade for Capitalism and NOT Soviet
actions
When – Vietnam War
Why?
• Marshall Plan was enacted to ensure
that America had markets available for
trade
• Stalin was a pragmatic leader and, if the
US listened to his security concerns, he
would have made concessions
Historian – William Appleman Williams,
Gabriel and Joyce Kolko
POST-REVISIONIST
Neither side is solely responsible for
starting the Cold War. Internal and
External factors. Misinterpretations on
both sides resulting in reactions, not
proactive ideas
When – Post-Vietnam War
Why?
•
External – Situation in Greece which
neither country started
•
Internal
•
USSR – Security, role of ideology,
postwar reconstruction, Stalin
• USA – Red Scare, illusion of
unlimited power (Economic Boom
and Atomic Bomb)
Historian – John Lewis Gladdis
POST-COLD
WAR
Stalin did it!!!! Individuals, not
policies, started the Cold War
When – After the collapse of the
USSR
Why?
• Totalitarian nature of the Soviet
Union
• US just reacted to Stalin’s actions
• If you remove Stalin and leave
every other person, the Cold War
does not happen
Historian – John Lewis Gladdis
(Changed his opinion), Vojtech
Mastny (Eastern European Historian)
SOVIET
ORTHODOX
Soviets only trying to find
security, repair from the
Great Patriotic War and aid
the global proletariat while to
US was attempting to
economically take over the
world
When – Post-WW2
Why?
• Berlin Blockade – the US
was trying to control Europe
and the Soviets were simply
responding
Historian – Molotov
SOVIETREVISIONIST
Soviet Security was
paramount. Ideology played
a factor as well.
When – Post-Cold War
Why?
• Berlin Blockade – the
Soviets were fearful of a
strong Germany and Japan
• Expansion – Socialist victory
was going to happen
• Stalin’s paranoia and
suspicion
Historian – Mastny
BALANCE OF POWER
VS. IDEOLOGY
Ideology had nothing to do with
it. It was a traditional balance of
power. 2 Expansionist powers
coming together, just as
England and Germany before
WW1, England and France in the
18th Century, Rome and
everyone
When – 19th Century~Present
Why?
• Europe – both powers wanted
to expand its power because
thay is what empires do
Historian – Alexis de Tocqueville,
Walter LaFeber, Henry Kissinger
CREATE THIS CHART
Is your table complete?
Historiographic
Idea
Orthodox
Revisionist
Post-Revisionist
Post-Cold War
Soviet-Orthodox
SovietRevisionist
Balance of
Power
Definition
Context
Success Criteria
I can create a table
describing the different
historiographic
perspectives on the
Origin of the Cold War
Example
Historian +
Quote
NOTE-TAKING CHECK!
What I will check?
1. Vocab definition?
2. Did you take notes for
today?
3. How did the US and the
Soviet Union become Cold
War adversaries?
•
•
•
•
Which historiographical
perspective do you agree
with? Why?
Which one do you disagree
with? Why?
Did you add 1~2
sentences?
Did you add a vocab word?