Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War - Essay Example

?Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War Cold War is recognized as an era of extreme tension and hostility between Soviet Union and the United States of America. The War had its origins at the end of Second World War and ended in the early decade of 1990s. The fear of nuclear escalation did not allow the two economies to indulge into an active war therefore; this war is known as Cold War. This war is different from the other wars because it was not an active war and it was fought through propagandas, military clashes, economic clashes and diplomatic bargaining. Most of the world economies came under the impact of Cold War including the neutral economies, newly independent economies and others. Various factors contributed to intensify the conflicts between the two nations however, a few of them appeared as the primary causes of Cold War. The aim of this essay is to discuss the primary causes of Cold War. In general, there are three views about “who was to blame for the Cold War? (Johndclare)” The Traditional view is supported by western writers who blame Soviet Russia for the Cold War and they argue that Stalin was seeking to establish a Soviet empire. The Revisionist view is supported by western writers who blame America for the Cold War. They argue that Truman could not understand the impact of Second World War on Russia. Third view is the Post-Revisionists view which considers the hatred of both nations as the primary cause of Cold War. In this essay only the primary causes of Cold War have been discussed regardless of the three views mentioned here. However, mentioning these views was important because they clearly highlight that Cold War could be either because of the actions of the United States or Russia or both of these nations. The aftermath of World War II on the international system provides a significant understanding to the origins of Cold War because after World War II, the foreign policies of the U.S and Russia intermingled with the frenzied and flowing nature of international relations to cause the Cold War (Painter). Painter highlights that following World War II, various fundamental changes were seen in international power distribution, balance of political forces, weapons technology and relations between Third World and Industrial economies. The historians have disagreements over the exact date of Cold War however; most of the historians agree that this war started when the President of the United States, Truman announced an anti-communist policy. The Second World War has its significance in the discussion of Cold War because the war started immediately after the Second World War. The ideological, political and economic differences between the United States and Soviet Union were not much prominent before the World War II however; mutual suspicions and distrust intensified the differences between the two nations and came on screen after the World War II. These differences and the factors intensifying these differences became the primary causes of Cold War. The defeat of Nazi Germany became the collapse of old Europe and appeared as a common victory of American and Soviet soldiers who celebrated the victory together in Germany in 1945. However, the conflicts between Soviet Union and the United States increased when it came to make a decision about the occupied Germany and the composition of a new Polish government. These conflicts intensified when the two nations failed to agree on a common plan relevant to the control of atomic energy and Soviets started communizing the lands under their occupation which threatened the United States on the division of Europe. The United States could see the spread of Communist State in the Western Europe whereas; the Soviet Union was threatened by American nuclear power and control. Fuller argues that the fear of democratic west about the Soviet Union was the primary cause of Cold War. If at one end, Soviet Union had a fear of western invasions of her new satellites, then at the other end, the western states were seeing the spread of Marxism. The suspicious and negative attitude of major economic powers worsened their relations for example; in 1946 Molotov in Paris rejected to receive the idea of west about not taking compensations and conducting free elections in Eastern Europe. Moreover, American anti-Soviet policy came on screen with Truman Doctrine of 1947. Under this doctrine, the American aid was provided to the European economies which boarded onto the communist states. The aid was extended outside Europe in 1947 through Marshall Plan which was aimed to stop the spread of Marxism. Meanwhile, the arms race started between America and Soviet Union who gained the atom bombs in 1945 and 1949 respectively (Fuller). When America achieved the atomic bomb, the fear of Russia being a super power increased and the refusal of America to share the nuclear secrets further intensified the fear of Russians. When America aided the western countries bordering Soviet Union, the fear of Russia of an American attack increased and Russia’s efforts to achieve a secure western boarder increased. The actions of Russia threatened the United States which was already suspicious over the aim of Russia to spread communism across the world. Cold War can be considered as the collapse of Soviet Empire or as a disintegration of Soviet Union and Communism. This war was not a nuclear or military war rather it was based on an ideological conflict (Mueller). Muller highlights that Cold War cannot be associated with the economic balance between East and West because this war ended before any of these issues was actually resolved. The different ideologies of the two nations also appear to be another major cause of Cold War. Both of these nations have two opposing governing systems. For example, in the United States the individuals could develop their political parties and the government was elected by free elections whereas, in Soviet Union, the Communist party formed government and individuals were not free to form their own political parties. The causative relationship between communism and Cold War has been pointed by the official historians of Cold War (Thompson). These historians highlight that the national leaders of Communist States were pushed by the forceful dialectic of Marxism-Leninism.1 Therefore, primary cause of World War II examined in this opinion can be found in two major events in 1917. These two events include the entry of America into the First World War and the Russian Revolution. The events of November 1917 fostered the conflict with the storing of Petrograd Winter Palace by Trotsky’s Red Guard and fateful words of Lenin.2 The poor relations between the two nations after Second World War are also an outcome of the Land-Lease treaty terminated by the United States and the refusal of American aid to Russia after Second World War (Chung). In addition, the lack of cooperation between the two nations was reflected by the speeches of the leaders of the two nations. In fact the nature of the clash between the guardians of existing international order and communism was based on the fact that the national leaders of Soviet Union were propelled by their own rigid mysticism which created a primary cause of disagreement rather than a minor and escalating cause. As a result the national leaders of the Communist states started viewing the non-communist states as antagonistic forces towards the aims and objectives of Communist states. Andre Fontaine (cited in Thomas, pp.25) argues that there would have been no Cold War if the two large powers would have been not confident in their beliefs, power and weapons. The economic beliefs of the two nations differ greatly which created a gradually intensifying conflict between the two nations. For example, Soviet Union wanted to secure its boarders by shielding off its own sphere from international trade whereas; the United States encouraged the free trade. These differences based on economies, governing ideologies and politics became more significant after the Second World War. The Second World War was a crucial time because it made the suspicions of the two nations about each other more transparent. The Marshall Plan of President Truman of the United States and the actions of Russia in the Russian occupied Germany enhanced the conflicts and led to an inactive long Cold War. Although many political leaders from the United States were seeking to increase cooperation between the two nations however, the expansion of Russia and the increasing nuclear influence of the United States kept a huge distance between the two nations. Based on the above discussion, few reasons have been identified which can be considered as the primary causes of Cold War. First, the Cold War was an outcome of the conflicts between the Communist states and non-communist states based on the difference in their opinions over the virtues of political philosophy of communism. At one end, Soviet Union was a strong communist state and at the other end, the Western states opposed communism. Therefore, in the light of this difference in ideological perceptions, states attempted to gain influence over intermediary countries thereby, causing Cold War. Second, the acquisition of Atomic weapons threatened the Soviet Union and an arms race started between the two nations however, the fear of nuclear escalation stopped these nations to begin an active war. Third, the dispute between America and Soviet Union over the distribution of Germany after the defeat of Nazi further intensified the conflicts between the two economies and communization of lands by Soviet Union became a major factor for US suspicions. Fourth, the fear of Soviet Union that the United State would take help from Western Europe which boarded onto Soviet Union, as a base to attack Soviet Union and the anti-soviet policy of America became two other major factors of Cold War because both of the nations were feared of an attack from each other. Finally, the confidence of the two nations in their beliefs, superiority, weapons and power became a primary cause of the Cold War. The summarized causes of Cold War actually illustrate the fact that the feeling of suspicion and the mutual distrust between the two nations deepened the Cold War. Bibliography Chung, TK. COLD WAR 1945-1960. 1979. 19. May 2011 . Fuller, Richard. Causes of the Cold War. 14. January 2010. 19. May 2011 . Johndclare. Causes of the Cold War. 19. May 2011 < http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war3.htm>. Mueller, John. “WHEN DID THE COLD WAR END?“ 26. July 2002. 19. May 2011 . Painter, David S. The Cold War: an international history. London: Routledge, 1999. Thompson, Kenneth W. Cold War Theories: World polarization, 1943-1953. United States of America: LSU Press, 1991. Read More