Assignment 9 - The Cold War
1) What did Winston Churchill claim the Soviet Union wanted?
In Document A, Winston Churchill claimed that the Soviet Union wanted “the fruits of war” and
to the “indefinite expansion of their power and doctrines.” He believed that the Soviet Union
wanted to spread communism all over the world and establish puppet governments.in other
countries. He saw the actions as a threat to peace in the world.
2) Why did Harry Truman believe that Greece needed American aid in 1947?
In Document B, Truman believed that Greece needed American aid because, in 1947, the
Greek government made an urgently appealed for financial and economic support. Greece was
under threat from armed communist groups which were defying the authority of the government.
Without aid, Truman believed that Greece would not be able to maintain a self-supporting
democratic government. Truman believed that no other nation would be willing to provide the.
support needed to stop the spread of communism.
3) What did Nikolai Novikov claim the United States planned during World War II?
Nikolai Novikov claimed that the American government calculated the timing of when they would
enter World War Two precisely. He says that they choose to enter the war last minute which
could easily affect the outcome and selfishly ensure their interests. He stated that America
waited for their competitors to be greatly weakened so that the United States could most
powerful power in the post-war world.
4) How does Henry Wallace’s description of American foreign policy compare to Truman’s and
Novikov’s?
Wallace is critical of American nuclear weapons and the policy of arming Latin America. He
believes that these actions look like America is preparing for war and trying to intimidate other
nations. He also suggests that American efforts to promote democracy in Eastern Europe are
dangerous because of how the Soviets view their actions. This is similar to Novikov’s telegram
which speaks of American foreign policy as imperialistic. Both of these contrast to Truman's
speech in which he argues that American “aid” is necessary for maintaining democracy and
keeping freedom around the world.
5) In your opinion, who was primarily responsible for the Cold War - the United States of the
Soviet Union. Support your stance with information from this unit. If you believe both parties are
equally responsible, explain why.
I think that both the United States and the Soviet Union were equally accountable for the Cold
War. For example, the United States had extremely aggressive foreign policies, aimed to
contain the spread of communism and extending American influence all over the globe. Things
such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the establishment of NATO are instances
of aggression towards the Soviet Union. On the other side the Soviet Union’s. expansionist
goals and its unwaveringness to compromise or cooperate with the United States or any of its
allies.are just some of the reasons the Cold War continued for so long. Specific examples
include the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, the Berlin Blockade and the Soviet's funding
and arming dangerous communist movements around the world. In my opinion, both the United
States and the Soviet Union played a role in the Cold War’s beginning and escalation. Each
sides were fighting for world influence, and decisions were often driven by a perceived threat of
the other side rather than an actual one.