What were the (Long-Term) Causes of the Cold War? L/O – To identify the ideological differences and mutual suspicions that developed between the USA and USSR What was the Cold War? • The term ‘cold war’ describes periods of hostility and high tension between states that stops just short of war. • Between 1945-1989 a ‘Cold War’ existed between the USA and USSR. Both had emerged as superpowers after WW2. Nuclear weapons made the possibility of war between them unthinkable. • Instead, the Cold War was defined by ideological conflict with ‘proxy wars’ being fought across the world like in Korea in the 1950s, Vietnam in the 1960s/70s and Afghanistan in the 1980s. What was the Cold War? • The Cold War also involved economic rivalry and the development of huge espionage networks as each side tried to infiltrate the other. • At times, it seemed like nuclear annihilation was imminent, like during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. However there were also periods of calm and cooperation. • The war ended unexpectedly in the late 1980s when the Soviet Union collapsed, leaving the USA as the sole superpower. Communism vs Capitalism • The USA and USSR were seen by many in the early 20th century as inevitable enemies. This was due to their fundamentally different political and economic systems. • The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 saw communism established in Russia by Vladimir Lenin. • Communism or Marxism was based on the 19th century ideas of Karl Marx. Marx advocated a new type of government that promised a ‘classless’ society – this threatened the very existence of Western Capitalist Democracies like the USA. Two Rival Ideologies The West The USSR Economic Differences: Capitalism Economic Differences: Communism Individuals should be able to compete with each other with a minimum of state interference and make as much money as they wish. This is known as Capitalism. Capitalism creates divisions between rich and poor. Thus all businesses and farms should be owned by the state on behalf of people. This is Communism. Individuals are thus encouraged to work hard by the promise of individual reward. Goods will be distributed to individuals by the state. Everyone will thus get what is needed and everyone will be working for the collective good. Political Differences: Liberal Democracy Political Differences: One-Party State Individuals choose the government through voting. There is a range of political parties to choose from. There is no need for a range of political parties, as the Communist Party truly represents the views of all the workers and rules on behalf of the people. Individuals have certain rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Individual freedoms valued by the West are not necessary. Idealism vs. Self-Interest • The USA and USSR both believed that their political philosophy was ‘right’, and the best way to create a just society. • Each side believed that it offered the only true path to ‘peace, freedom, justice and plenty’ for all. • However behind the idealism, the USA and USSR were also motivated by their own self-interests and power politics. The West The USSR What ideals underpinned the view of each country? • Idealism of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt • Struggle for a better world based on collective security, political selfdetermination and economic integration. • Peace, freedom, justice and plenty • Marxist idealism and Stalinism • Struggle for a better world based on international socialism • Peace, freedom, justice and plenty How was this to be achieved by each country? • Achieved by democracy/Capitalism and international co-operation • Achieved by spreading Soviet-style Communism What elements of self-interest lay behind each country’s ideals? • The need to establish markets and open doors to free trade • The desire to avoid another economic crisis of the magnitude of 1929 • President Truman and most of the postwar US administration’s belief that ‘what’s good for America is good for the world’ • The need to secure borders • The need to recover from the effects of World War Two • The need to regain strength as the ‘nursery of Communism’ • Stalin’s belief that what’s good for the USSR is good for workers of the world Increasing Hostility: 1917-1939 • The intervention of the West in the Russian Civil War (19181922) supporting the conservative forces – the Whites – in their attempt to overthrow the Bolsheviks. • The USSR did not receive recognition nor was allowed to join the League of Nations until the 1930s. • The appeasement of Hitler by the West in the 1930s was partly motivated by fear of Soviet Communism. • The Non-Aggression Pact (Nazi-Soviet Pact) between the USSR and Nazi Germany in 1939 allowed Hitler to concentrate on attacking the West. What was the significance of Stalin? • Another problem for many in the West was the nature of Stalin’s Russia. ‘Stalinism’ was a particular brand of Communism that was seen as evil at the time. • Stalin ruled as a dictator. His policies included ruthless collectivisation which led to the deaths of millions. His ‘five-year plans’ improved industry so he could defeat Nazi Germany. • In the 1930s, Stalin launched the ‘Great Terror’ which resulted in purges of all political opponents as well as millions of ordinary people, most of whom died. What was the significance of Stalin? • By 1945, Stalinism seemed poised to take-over Europe. It meant: 1. The dominance of Stalin over the party, and the party over state institutions 2. A powerful state security machine 3. The ruthless maintenance of power by the elimination of opposing leaders, groups or entire sections of the population 4. The development of a regime associated with paranoia and violence. Stalin’s Role in World War Two • Stalin had hoped to delay an attack from Nazi Germany by signing the 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact. • However in June 1941, Hitler invaded the USSR. Operation Barbarossa was the biggest military operation in history. • The Red Army was pushed back, Ukraine was overrun and Moscow threatened. However the Soviets fought back, and after victory at Stalingrad in 1942, the Nazis were pushed back. • Stalin’s victory over Nazi Germany made him more secure and put the USSR in a position to emerge as one of the leading powers in the post-war world. Why did the USA and USSR emerge as superpowers after 1945? Military Reasons • To defeat Germany, the USA had become the number one air-force power in the world. • To defeat Germany, the USSR had become the number one land-force power in the world. • France and Britain’s inability to defeat Germany had changed the balance of power. They had become ‘second rank’ powers. • The USSR now lacked any strong military neighbours. This made it the regional power. • The USA’s economy was strengthened by the war. It was now able to outproduce all the other powers put together. • The USA was committed to more ‘open trade’. Its politicians and business people wanted to ensure liberal trade, and market competition flourished. The United States was willing to play an active role in avoiding the reEconomic emergence of the disastrous pre-war pattern of trade-blocs and tariffs. Reasons • The USA had the economic strength to prevent a return to instability in Europe. • The small Eastern European countries that had been created after World War One were not economically viable on their own, so they needed the support of a stronger neighbour, and the USSR could replace Germany in this role. Why did the USA and USSR emerge as superpowers after 1945? • For the West, the outcome of World War Two showed that the ideals of democracy and international collaboration had triumphed over fascism. Thus the political system of the USA was the right path for the future. • For the Soviet Union, it was Communism that had triumphed over fascism. Indeed, Communism had gained widespread respect in Political Europe because of its part in resisting the Germans. Reasons • The USSR’s huge losses, and the role of the Red Army in defeating the Nazis, gave Stalin a claim to great influence in forming the post-war world. • The USSR had the political (as well as military) strength to prevent a return to instability in Eastern Europe. Communism could fill the political vacuum there. Superpower Rivalry • Given their relative strength, the USA and USSR came to dominate, creating a ‘bipolar’ international system. • They would dictate the post-war settlement in Europe however during this process, the Grand Alliance set-up during the war collapsed. • By 1949, the Cold War had come into existence. This would last for forty years until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.
