The origins of the Cold War

As with any major historical event there are a range of causes. This unit will explore those different causes. When answering questions you should consider the extent to which each factor caused the tensions between the USA/ Britain and the USSR.

An easy way to remember the different causes is BARE:

Beliefs

Aims

Resentment about History

Events

Tensions between Capitalism and Communism

The roots of the cold war can be found in the tensions between the different ideologies of Capitalism and communism.

Capitalism - In a capital system money is invested by private business. This money is invested in factories and paying workers. These workers produce goods in the factories. these goods are then sold for profit. The profit then goes back to the business man. This business man and the workers are taxed on their earnings which allows them to the government to pay for education

and other public services.

Communism - In a communism system all business is owned by the people and the state rather than by private business. The state use the taxes to run the State factories where people work. The goods produced are sold in State shops at fixed prices. The profit from these shops are used to pay the workers and fund the state government. Everyone gets an equal share and has access to the same resources.

The Russian Revolution 1917

Many historians argue that the origins of the Cold War began with the Russian Revolution in 1917. When the Russian revolution sparked the Russian Civil War it was clear that the USA and Britain were keen to defeat the Bolsheviks. They provided troops to the 'whites' in an attempt to crush the Bolshevik Reds. There was also an ideological clash between Woodrow Wilson and Lenin. In 1919 Wilson presented his fourteen points including an ambitious plan for self determination, free trade and the League of Nations. In contrast Lenin was preaching world revolution and the spread of communism.

During the 1920s and 1930s USA followed a policy of isolationism and Stalin was busy with his 5 year plans. As a result it can not be argued that there was during this period no Cold War. However Moscow did try to undermine capitalism by establishing the Comintern ( The Communist International - a single foreign Communist Party with branches in different countries)

In 1939 the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact while still in talks with Britain and France. In 1941 Hitler invaded the USSR. In 1945 the USSR and the USA then met face to face as they occupied Europe.

Tensions in the Grand Alliance

The Grand Alliance was established by USSR, USA and Britain from 1941 to defeat the axis powers led by Germany, Japan and Italy. Following the end of the second world war the Big 3 hoped to continue their friendship but as it became clearer that the Germany was defeated the Big 3 began to have conflicting aims and objectives.

In 1945 the USSR wanted security and reparations form Germany and its allies. To do this the USSR were keen to hang on to the land annexed from Poland in 1939. Stalin also wanted to extend the USSR by reintegrating the Baltic provinces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The USSR was also keen to extend the sphere of Soviet influence. In Eastern Europe in particular Stalin was keen to ensure that there were states that were friendly to the USSR. He expected that Greece would not become Communism.

The USA also felt vulnerable particularly following air borne nature of the attack on pearl Harbour in 1941. They wished to set up a series of camps to protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This would also protect America's trading routes. President Roosevelt's policy was inspired by Woodrow Wilson's idea of free trade. This also included the United Nations an assembly where the whole world would be represented. This was embodied in the Atlantic Charter which Churchill and Roosevelt drew up in August 1941.

Britain's main aim was to ensure the survival of Great Britain as a great power on friendly terms with both the USA and the USSR. It was alarmed however, with the growing influence of the USSR. In addition as Britain had gone to war over Poland it was keen to see a democratic government established in Warsaw.

Tensions between the three powers began to show at the conferences held to sort out post-war Europe.

The Tehran Conference

This conference held in Iran in 1943 was attended by Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. The decision was made to land British and USA troops in France (D-Day 1944) rather than the Balkans effectively ensuring that the USSR would liberate both eastern and South-Eastern Europe. As a result it had the potential to influence the politics of the whole region. Churchill and Roosevelt were forced to accept the USSR's claims to Eastern Poland.

The liberation of Europe

The Yalta Conference

'the last of the wartime conferences...[and] the first of the post war summits' Martin Walker



Decisions made:

1. Germany should be occupied by the victorious powers

2. On Churchills insitance France should be included in this power share.


3. Berlin would be split into four zones

4. The United Nations should be established

5. Poland caused the most difficulty and was settled with a number of ambiguous compromises, which could be read differently by USSR and the Western Powers

A. Poland's east border to run along the Curson line

B. USSR to gain substantial land from territory removed from Germany

C. Reorganisation of the provisional governemtn to include democratic politicans from both Poland and London government-in-exile.

D. Elections would be held as soon as possible.

6. Declaration on Liberated Europe - committed 3 powers to carry out emergency measures to assit liberated states and set up democractically elected governments.

Potential Issues:

1. The land to be given to Stallin had not been fixed

2. Democracy meant different things to Stalin than it did to Churchill and Roosevelt.

'the Soviets could stretch the agrrement 'all the way from Yalta to Washington without actually breaking it' US Chief of Staff

It was clear that despite the smiles at Yalta the USA and Britian were nervous of communisms and the spread of Soviet influence.

Three months after Yalta the East and West faced a power vaccum in Europe prevent Tito seizing the port, while the British Soviets gaining control there. Churchill also urged the Americans to make the effort to capture Prague (Cezchsolovakia) and Berlin (Germany).

The US generals were not prepared to lose men in what they regarded was a political issue so both Prague and Berlin were taken by Soviet Red Army.