The German Question and the Origin of Cold War - Essay Example

The German question and the origin of Cold war The US and the USSR dependably had an unpleasant association with one another since 1919. We unabashedly helped the White Russian constrains that battled against Lenin and Bolsheviks. A lot of people conservative lawmakers in the US were hostile to red in the 20's and 30's, a low level chilly war kind of existed. Since the USSR did not have a worldwide achieve the greater part of the clash was with neighborhood homegrown comrade parties and the current governments in force. That is until the Spanish Civil War in 1938 were individuals far and wide took sides and supplied men and material to the war there. The nationalist rebels who were being led by Francisco Franco managed to overthrow then then government since they had a lot of support from military units that were situated in Morocco, Pamplona, Burgos, Cordova, Cadiz, Valladolid as well as in Seville. However some key cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia were not captured by the rebels but instead remained under the full control of the government resulting into a great division in the country. The nationalist rebels received a lot of military support from Nazi Germany and the Fascist Italy who shared similar views with them while the government was backed by the U.S.S.R and Mexico. Some countries such as Britain and France decided to sit on the fence which gave U.S.S.R a lot of influence and ability to expand its control away from its neighboring countries. Despite the fact that Stalin had initially signed the Non-Intervention Agreement together with other nations such as Britain, they went ahead to provide major help to the Republicans thus becoming their main source of military resources. The U.S.S.R had thus contravened the provisions of the League of Nations to which it was party to. At the time United States was going through a lot of difficulty in its efforts to recover form the effects of the Great Depression coupled with the negative effects of World War I which had left the nation in a devastated state. Most of the leaders were of the opinion that the United States should not intervene in the situations. The U.S government at that time was at crossroads on whether to express its support for the idealistic cause of the Spanish Civil war or not to intervene at all. Franklin D. Roosevelt who was the U.S president at that time had showed support to the Republic government but he could not make any move at that time due to the conflicting interests considering the American foreign policy and the effect it will have on the members of the public. A movement thus arose in America with a view of intervening on foreign issues only on ideological grounds. Another reason that motivated the U.S not to intervene in the war was the desire to be in the same side with Britain which was of non-intervention opinion thus the war provided an opportunity for the U.S to develop close ties with Britain. President Roosevelt did not see the intervention the communist USSR to be a major threat in view to how he was seeing a major threat from fascism that had been involved in the war. The first reaction of the U.S towards the war was to institute a moral embargo of arms to the two sides involved in the war. As the war continued, Roosevelt as well as the American support for the Loyalist increased tremendously as opposed to the original view of non-intervention. The U.S was of the opinion of extending the embargo to other nations involved in the war such as Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union. In his speech that was delivered in October 1937, President Roosevelt clearly expressed his disapproval to the war and all the activities that were taking place at that time in Europe. The advocated for a quarantine policy aimed at preserving the innocent lives that were being lost due to the war. He indicated that nations that were taking part in those criminal activities should be quarantined. He however maintained support for the Loyalists which was later confirmed by Eleanor Roosevelt when he stated: “In the case of the Spanish Civil War, for instance, we had to remain neutral, though Franklin knew quite well he wanted the democratic government to be successful. But he also knew he could not get Congress to go along with him.” The U.S focus was drawn to the involvement Germany and Italy in the war. This was influenced by Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy which could result into a very strong force together with the fascist Spain in the future. The U.S president was also concerned that Spain would be in a position to subvert the Latin America. There was a real possibility of such an occurrence given that Germany and Italy had sent large reinforcements to Spain in order to help Franco’s forces. For this reason, Roosevelt was wary because many in the government considered Berlin’s penetration of Latin America to be the most direct threat to American security. The brutal manner in which Franco was conducting the war also triggered Roosevelt to consider possibilities of engaging in the war. He bombed major cities and other areas of influence which impacted so negatively on the government. All these factors forced Roosevelt to consider actions aimed at containing the international threat that was taking shape in Europe. He felt that Britain was failing to fulfill the role traditionally assigned to them by American statesmen of being the protector of global order. Due to this series of escalating concerns regarding the stability of Europe and its perceived ability to hold out against an onslaught of fascist power, Roosevelt began to consider more active aid to the Spanish Loyalists as necessary. However given the Neutrality Act of 1937, He would be contravening the law if he sought to give direct aid or arms to a country under embargo. For these reasons, he resolved that he would find a way around these complications and attempt to send aid to the failing Spanish Republic illegally. Therefore, the new goals of Roosevelt in Spain were no longer focused on preventing the Spanish Civil War from engendering a wider European conflict neither did he simply desire to promote non-intervention in Spain but instead Roosevelt sought to block a victory by Franco, if necessary through some form of American intervention. Pro-Loyalist groups were calling for a lift of the embargo of Spain which Catholic groups were calling for its continued existence. This created an increasingly difficult political atmosphere in which the president and the Congress had to operate or find ways of containing both views. As more and more attention was drawn to the issue overseas President Roosevelt and Congress were put under a public microscope. There was even a news leak which proclaimed that Roosevelt was expressing a full support for the repeal of the arms embargo; however, this would later prove to be false. While Roosevelt was increasingly more Pro-Loyalist, he was still in favor of the embargo based on its intrinsic value. It is at this point in the historical documents that the records become unclear, but Tierney asserts that given various pieces of corroborating evidence Roosevelt actually attempted to supply the Spanish Republic with covert and illegal aid. Drawing from sources at the Roosevelt Presidential Library, Princeton University, Harvard University, and Russian archives, he asserts that Roosevelt had informed the Mexican and Spanish ambassadors that US arms could be sent to Spain via France in defiance of the embargo. Presently in 1940, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression settlement and partitioned Poland. In 1941 Hitler attacked the USSR and the war on the Eastern Front turned into the true middle of clash in Europe until the Normady arriving, June of 1944. Throughout this time we supply the USSR with over a large portion of its war time material to thrashing Nazi Germany. It's an exceptionally uneasy partnership and numerous US politicians might rather have the Russians and Germans completely obliterate one another as opposed to help the Communists. After the VE day (May '45) individuals like Gen. Patton needed to pronounce war on the USSR and send US invasion energy to Moscow. The German problem is a numerous layered issue. First and foremost Capitalists and Communists needed to make peace in order to conquer the Nazis. Next the Red Army occupied Eastern Europe and a large portion of Germany. They demanded introducing Communist governments. Roosevelt needed peace and was begrudlingly ready to consent to this at the Yalta Conference and Stalin need this to keep Germany isolated and keep the possibility of a future Germany attacking Russia and / or beginning a Third World War. The political clash between free enterprise and socialism continued very nearly the Second World War Two finished. The Cold War did not generally begin in earnest until the Greek Civil War in 1947. A little comrade insurgency attempted to assume control. President Truman sent material support to thrashing the communists and afterward announced "The Truman Doctrine" were the US pledged to hold worldwide socialism and prevent it from developing around the globe (Lewkowicz 18). For the majority of the history specialists who bargain with the occasions of the chilly war, the primary inquiry to manage has been identified with the German Question. This inquiry has been lastingly invigorated for the purpose of different times that incorporate the unification of German, the division of German that occurred throughout the chilly war and the current new part of German in the Euro zone. The absence of assention between wartime Grand Alliance with respect to what's to come for German is viewed as the fundamental battleground between the east and the west. Thus, it is the primary driver of the frosty war (12). The Germans assumed an amazingly noteworthy part in the birthplace of the frosty war since it held an essential vital position. This occurred through various changes around the Germans. It was furthermore, helped by the post war worldwide request that came about because of the between Allied chip away at denaziation. The principle commitments of the cold war incorporated the pragmatist viewpoints that were brought on by the association between superpowers. A specific attention is set on the lawful and discretionary structure that supported not just the way the German inquiry was dealt with in any case, additionally the examination of the association between superpowers in connection to the way that they implemented their structural investment. In this manner, it is a direct result of the associations between the components identified with conjunction and intercession, the German address that is broke down from a deliberate angle was made up of the most critical issue in the setup of the worldwide request that was given after the war. There was an unpleasant relationship between the US and the USSR since the year 1919. On the other hand, the USSR completed not has a worldwide span. As being what is indicated, the vast majority of the clash was performed by nearby and homegrown socialist gatherings close by the administration that is right now in force. Regardless, this just kept going when in 1983; the Spanish Civil War brought about individuals everywhere throughout the world taking sides (Lewkowicz 38). The start of Cold War and its effects The start of the cold war that occurred between 1947 and 1953 occurred after the Second World War. The Cold War was an ideological war between the two world superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, beginning after World War II.  After the war, Germany was left defeated, and Britain and France were left drained and exhausted.  The United States and the Soviet Union, though also drained, held considerable power, and both soon rose to superpower status.  The two became rivals through conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust and constantly competed for power. The Soviet Union wanted to spread Communism in Eastern Europe and create a buffer zone of friendly governments as defense against Germany.  In 1946, with Eastern Europe under Soviet control and influence, Europe was divided into western democracies and the United States bloc and the Soviet Union and Soviet occupied territory bloc.  Thus an iron curtain separated Europe. Its principle starting point was the Truman Doctrine that occurred in 1947 up to the end of the Korean War in 1953. The Truman Doctrine, a plan to help states going through a struggle for freedom against their oppressors, was instituted in 1948.  President Truman said, "I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures."  The Truman Doctrine instituted a policy of containment; Communism would be limited only to areas already under Soviet control, and Americans would resist Soviet expansion everywhere else. The Truman Doctrine could not have been more clearly directed towards East Germany and, technically, West Germany.  Germany was both under subjugation by an outside force and also under the power of the armed minority that the Russians would soon put into power in the form of the DDR (Deutsches Demokratische Republik).  In 1949 the Allies made good on what they promised in the Truman Doctrine and unified West Germany into the BDR (Federal Republic of Germany). The Korean War commonly called America’s “forgotten war” because the United States made no significant territorial or political gains during the war. Despite the fact that tens of thousands of Americans died, the war both began and ended with the Korean Peninsula divided at the 38th parallel. Nevertheless, the Korean War helped define the Cold War, established a precedent for keeping peripheral wars limited, and boosted defense spending that contributed to the postwar economic boom in the United States. Despite the loss of life, the Korean War faded from national memory, perhaps because the three-year conflict ended without any territorial or political gains. Although General Douglas MacArthur captured nearly the entire Korean Peninsula after his brilliant Inchon landing, his tactical miscalculation at the Yalu River brought China into the war and forced United Nations troops back down to the 38th parallel, where they had started. Both sides became entrenched there, each preventing the other from making any headway. As a result, neither side could claim victory when cease-fire negotiations began in 1953. The 38th parallel remained one of the “hottest” Cold War borders in the world, almost as if the war had never really ended. It kept ticking through most a piece of the twentieth century (40). Although both Truman and Stalin helped increase tensions in Europe and East Asia in the years immediately following World War II, the Cold War itself was likely inevitable. The alliance that had formed between the United States and the USSR during World War II was not strong enough to overcome the past decades of suspicion and unease between the two nations. Moreover, as both leaders sought to achieve their postwar security objectives, which were often mutually exclusive, neither was willing to compromise. The Korean War was an important conflict, however, because it set the tone for the entire Cold War. In expanding the draft and sending more than 3 million U.S. troops to Korea, Truman demonstrated to the USSR his commitment to containing Communism at almost any cost. This demonstration of massive U.S. military force in East Asia forced the Soviets to rethink postwar policy in Eastern Europe and the rest of Asia. Truman also set a precedent during the war of avoiding the use of nuclear weapons, despite the fact that MacArthur advocated using them against North Koreans and the Chinese. Although the American public vilified Truman for this decision and for firing his insubordinate general, the decision proved to be prudent. The president knew that using nuclear weapons would only drag the Soviet Union and China fully into the conflict, which would destabilize Europe and initiate a third world war—one that might even lead to all-out nuclear war. By refusing to use nuclear weapons, Truman kept the war confined to the Korean Peninsula. The decision would later have an enormous impact on future presidents making similar decisions in Vietnam. Truman’s actions in Korea therefore demonstrated not only American resolve to contain Communism but also a desire to keep the Cold War from devolving into an open war. The Korean War also boosted American military spending, as a result of a memorandum issued by the National Security Council, known as NSC-68. The memo recommended that Congress quadruple military and defense spending in order to contain the Soviet Union. As a result, the percentage of Congress’s annual budget spent on defense soared throughout the following years, hovering at roughly 50 percent under the Eisenhower administration. Government investment in war factories kept employment high and money flowing into the economy between 1950 and 1970, contributing significantly to the prosperous economic boom. The United States and the USSR had always generally disliked and distrusted each other, despite the fact that they were allies against Germany and Japan during the war. Americans had hated and feared Communism ever since it had appeared in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and had refused to recognize the new Soviet government, especially after Bolshevik leaders promoted the destruction of capitalism. During World War II, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delayed their decision to open a second front, which would have distracted the Nazis and taken pressure off the Red Army entrenched at Stalingrad. Stalin resented this delay, just as he resented the fact that the United States and Great Britain refused to share their nuclear weapons research with the Soviet Union. After the war, Truman’s decision to give Great Britain relief loans while denying similar requests from the USSR only added to the resentment. This is mainly because USSR was among the very first countries to recover from the effects of the World War II economically. Another major factor contributing to the Cold War was the fact that the United States and USSR were the only two powers to escape World War II relatively unharmed. Whereas other major world powers such as Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany lay in ruins, the Soviet Union and the United States still had manufacturing and military capabilities. The world had been a multipolar one before the war but was bipolar afterward, and this new order implicitly pitted the already distrustful and ideologically opposed United States and Soviet Union against each other. Perhaps most important, both powers had conflicting security goals that neither wanted to concede. The USSR, which had already been invaded twice in the first half of the twentieth century, wanted to set up friendly governments throughout Eastern Europe to create a buffer between Moscow and Germany. In addition to exacting enormous war reparations, Stalin wanted to dismantle German factories to keep Germany weak and dependent. Truman, conversely, believed that rebuilding, reindustrializing, and democratizing Europe was the key to preventing another world war. With neither side willing to compromise on these conflicting ideologies and postwar plans, tension between the United States and the USSR was inevitable. The association between the German inquiry and the frosty war is significant to the course materials since it makes it conceivable to connection with different occasions, for example, the recurrence with which France and German, which incorporates Prussia as its key segment, have been at war much of the time. These are the Franco-Prussian war that occurred in the 1870 notwithstanding the first and second world wars (Lewkowicz, 69). The aftereffects of World War Two were what shaped Cold War Germany.  The post-war state of Germany was grim: about 1/4 of housing had been destroyed, the economic infrastructure had largely collapsed, inflation was rampant, there was a shortage of food, and millions of homeless Germans from the east were returning.  After its unconditional surrender, Germany was divided into four zones of Allied military occupation: American, French, British, and Soviet.  The old capital of Berlin was also divided into four zones, but Berlin itself remained inside of the Soviet zone.  In 1949, the French, British, and American zones merged and formed the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublic Deutschland), with its capital city Bonn.  Also in 1949, the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) with the Soviet sector of Berlin as the capital.     West Germany became a surprisingly stable western democracy.  A new policy required a 5% vote for a political party to be represented in the Bundestag (the upper legislative house), in order to prevent any small extremist parties from gaining representation too easily.  This was what brought the downfall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi Party, after all.     East Germany was established as a Stalin-style Socialist state.  It became a member of the Warsaw Pact and came to have one of the most advanced economies and standard of living of the Soviet-bloc states (though that's not saying much, as it still lagged behind West Germany).  The East German government was formed into a centralized and dictatorial regime.  The State Security Police (Stasi) maintained the Soviet expectation of the people.  Free speech and opinions against the regime were not tolerated, and artistic and intellectual programs were strongly controlled.     The partition and division of Germany drove a block in between both United States to Russia relations and West German to East German relations.  The Allies were at the same time trying to be forgiving to the Germans for World War Two while also insuring that the Germans could never again begin the expansionism that had led to the two previous wars.     During the Cold War, Germany became the center for all the tensions between Democracy and Communism.  The location of Germany as the gateway between East and West Europe made it the ideal place for these political struggles to occur.  When Russia had tried to expand in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they were checked by the rising power of the German state.  Therefore, after Germany fell in World War Two, Russia attempted to begin its expansion across a now weakened Europe.     The end of World War Two left Russia in possession of all of Germany up to 300 miles west of Berlin.  This new annexation caused the powers in Europe to become unbalanced and Russia replaced Germany as the country that was getting too big. Contrary to their actions against rising powers in the past, England did not try to stop the Russian expansion.  They did this because they thought it preferable to give Russia parts of Germany over giving them other territories that would allow Russia access to the Mediterranean. The Allies had many reasons for partitioning Germany.  Overall, the purpose of dividing land up was to control Germany until a new government could be instated.  France, America, England and Russia all had parts of Germany that were put temporarily under their control.  While the Allies were still in occupation of the country, decisions were made by a council of the four powers.  The representatives were then responsible for carrying out the decisions of the council in their allotted territory.  There was a catch that the Russians exploited to thwart the other powers.  According to the treaty, proposals to the council were only put into effect if there was a unanimous vote.  The Russians could use this just like they used the U.N. Security Council.  The Russians had annoyed the other powers by using their veto power in the Security Council to veto every proposition that came before them.  By exercising their right to arbitrarily veto any decision made regarding Germany, they could prevent any actions that were against their best interest.  The Soviets then would be able to run Eastern Germany as they wished, because no proposition stopping them from doing so could be passed. Conclusion The German question was realized by the issue of balance to accomplish common peace and flourishing inside a framework where a few countries that incorporate German were viewed as greater than others after the Second World War. German was separated and made the German Question less intense. However, the truncated western German recovered investment initiative of the landmass rapidly. It is a direct result of this that the German inquiry was brought again because of the misery created by the reunification of the United States, French and British pioneers. This paper dissects the rationalist parts of superpower connection, with specific accentuation on the legitimate and strategic skeleton which maintained the treatment of the German Question as well as the general setting inter-Allied relations. The creator additionally handles the conflicting parts of the medicine of the German Question by looking at superpower connection in connection to the implementation of their structural investment. The primary contention of the paper is that because of the connection between the components of intercession and conjunction, the German Question constituted the most critical issue in the setup of the post-war global request. Work Cited Lewkowicz, Nicolas. The German Question and the Origins of the Cold War. IPOC: Milan, 2008. Print. Read More