Causes of the Cold War
Causes of the Cold War Saul Shandly, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jul 29, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here." Flag Close Post a comment Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and the US's policies adopted in response to that domination were the dual causes of the Cold War. Soviet occupation and influence into the satellite states of Eastern Europe led to a spread in communism that worried the west; moreover, the bleak economic situation in all of Europe after the war alarmed Truman even more. The US felt that the communists could easily influence Western Europe during this period of unrest, and even the democratic nations of Europe could become breeding grounds for communist thought. Fearful of the consequences of the spread of communism, Truman took several actions that effectively widened the divide between Communist and Democratic Europe including the Marshall Plan, the US policy of Containment, and the gift of aid to Greece and Turkey. Soviet domination was a principle cause for the Cold War, but the role Truman's reaction to this domination in the conflict should not be underestimated. At the conclusion of World War II, the Soviets refused to remove their troops from occupying several countries in Eastern Europe. The Soviets took control of elections and influenced votes setting up puppet governments loyal to Russia. At the same time, the economic situation was grim in all of Europe. The were voices even the democratic nations of Western Europe that urged for communist revolution. Truman said of the situation that, "The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want," and "misery and want" was an accurate depiction of the economic depression that faced Europe. Communism and communist sentiment was seen by the US government to be spreading at an alarming rate, and threatening democracy all around the world. As such, Truman justly reacted to this observed threat by adopting policies that would lead to the Cold War.
The United States always rejected Soviet domination over Eastern Europe, but in 1947, Truman adopted a concrete policy towards Soviet aggression called "containment". It stated that existing, peaceful Communist regimes would be tolerated by the US government as long as their influence was not being spread to other countries. The US executed this policy when the Soviets sought to begin revolutions in democratic Greece and Turkey. Truman adamantly sided against the Soviets and urged Congress to aid the two democratic powers with $400 million dollars to combat the communists. The US policy of containment created fir the first time a official hostile stance against communism that, after being inflamed by continued Soviet aggression, would lead to the Cold War.
The Marshall Plan would create a devastating rift between democracy and communism that would put the Soviets and US directly at odds. Seeing the desperation in the post-war European economies, Truman developed a plan to relieve and revive any European country's economy that was willing to go along with the plan. Most countries welcomed US aid with open arms; however, the Soviet Union refused it, citing that the US was not interested in altruism, only in dominating the economies of Europe and exacting its own will against the spread of Communism. Eastern Europe, dominated by Communists, also refused the aid in an effort to escape economic "subjugation" by America. Truman's policy was successful. The Marshall Plan allowed Western European economies to fully recover, yet it also had an unseen consequence of creating added mistrust between the Soviets and the US.
The Soviet Union's dominion over Eastern Europe was cause for Truman's reactionary policies that began the Cold War. The fear of Soviet sponsored revolution expanding communism into Greece and Turkey led to the policy of containment which fostered an adversarial attitude between the US and the Soviet Union. Fear of rising communist influence in democratic countries led to the Marshall Plan that increased mistrust between the two countries. The Soviet Union's domination of Eastern Europe was the catalyst that provoked Truman's reactions to the Soviets and communism and sparked the Cold War
Jul 29, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here." Flag Close Post a comment Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and the US's policies adopted in response to that domination were the dual causes of the Cold War. Soviet occupation and influence into the satellite states of Eastern Europe led to a spread in communism that worried the west; moreover, the bleak economic situation in all of Europe after the war alarmed Truman even more. The US felt that the communists could easily influence Western Europe during this period of unrest, and even the democratic nations of Europe could become breeding grounds for communist thought. Fearful of the consequences of the spread of communism, Truman took several actions that effectively widened the divide between Communist and Democratic Europe including the Marshall Plan, the US policy of Containment, and the gift of aid to Greece and Turkey. Soviet domination was a principle cause for the Cold War, but the role Truman's reaction to this domination in the conflict should not be underestimated. At the conclusion of World War II, the Soviets refused to remove their troops from occupying several countries in Eastern Europe. The Soviets took control of elections and influenced votes setting up puppet governments loyal to Russia. At the same time, the economic situation was grim in all of Europe. The were voices even the democratic nations of Western Europe that urged for communist revolution. Truman said of the situation that, "The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want," and "misery and want" was an accurate depiction of the economic depression that faced Europe. Communism and communist sentiment was seen by the US government to be spreading at an alarming rate, and threatening democracy all around the world. As such, Truman justly reacted to this observed threat by adopting policies that would lead to the Cold War.
The United States always rejected Soviet domination over Eastern Europe, but in 1947, Truman adopted a concrete policy towards Soviet aggression called "containment". It stated that existing, peaceful Communist regimes would be tolerated by the US government as long as their influence was not being spread to other countries. The US executed this policy when the Soviets sought to begin revolutions in democratic Greece and Turkey. Truman adamantly sided against the Soviets and urged Congress to aid the two democratic powers with $400 million dollars to combat the communists. The US policy of containment created fir the first time a official hostile stance against communism that, after being inflamed by continued Soviet aggression, would lead to the Cold War.
The Marshall Plan would create a devastating rift between democracy and communism that would put the Soviets and US directly at odds. Seeing the desperation in the post-war European economies, Truman developed a plan to relieve and revive any European country's economy that was willing to go along with the plan. Most countries welcomed US aid with open arms; however, the Soviet Union refused it, citing that the US was not interested in altruism, only in dominating the economies of Europe and exacting its own will against the spread of Communism. Eastern Europe, dominated by Communists, also refused the aid in an effort to escape economic "subjugation" by America. Truman's policy was successful. The Marshall Plan allowed Western European economies to fully recover, yet it also had an unseen consequence of creating added mistrust between the Soviets and the US.
The Soviet Union's dominion over Eastern Europe was cause for Truman's reactionary policies that began the Cold War. The fear of Soviet sponsored revolution expanding communism into Greece and Turkey led to the policy of containment which fostered an adversarial attitude between the US and the Soviet Union. Fear of rising communist influence in democratic countries led to the Marshall Plan that increased mistrust between the two countries. The Soviet Union's domination of Eastern Europe was the catalyst that provoked Truman's reactions to the Soviets and communism and sparked the Cold War