Origins of the Cold War Outline

To what extent were the policies of the United States responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949?

Thesis statement: 
 The policies of the United States between 1945 and 1949 where the reason for the outbreak and development of the Cold War. They were the reason because of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) making an alliance "against" the soviets, the Truman Doctrine containing communism to just the Soviet Union, The atomic weapons race, the Marshall Plan giving aid to Europe, and the race to see who was the better country out of the two.

Main Points-
1. NATO alliance

• the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an organization that was only limited to the North Atlantic, not the Soviets
• They created there own alliance, leaving the Soviets behind. 
• Shows American trust of the UK not of the Soviets

2.Truman Doctrine

•  gave money to countries who, the Americans felt, were in jeopardy of being taken over by communists.
• Trying to stop what the Soviets were doing, making them mad
• Containing the problem, communism.

3. Atomic Bombs

• A race between the two countries to get the most weapons 
• Either side had to show that they were the better nation
• Who has the more power is who has the more weapons

4. American Intervention (Marshall Plan)

• Soviets did not like it at all, they forbade any Eastern European states to apply for it
• Stalin felt that it would weaken his grip on the Eastern European states
• He felt that the United States was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making them dependent on money

5. They were the two nations to come out of the war the most succesful

• They didn't like each others political views so they couldn't have an alliance 
• No alliance so one has to lead the world
• So "fight" to whose the best

D/I- 
Others may argue that the Soviet Union was the reason for the Cold War because of Stalins takeover of some of Eastern Europes countries, He was trying to spread communism throughout the world, and the Berlin Blockade. 


Disagreement- 

Main Point 1- Stalins demands at Yalta

• demanded the satellite countries because of their significant lose of lives during the war.  
• He wanted to move the border of Soviet Russia into western Poland
• He got what he wanted, cause he promised to join in the war effort in Japan within 90 days.

Maint Point 2- USSR's response to Marshall Plan

• He forbade any Western European country to apply for it
• He tightened his grip on Eastern European states, setting up new organizations to keep control on them. 
• Was against all of the United States intervention, he felt that they were just trying get allies to try and get them 

Main Point 3- Berlin Blockade

• 
  

Main Point 4- Potsdam 

Main Point 5- Yugoslavia

D/I-

Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)     

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?               
I do agree with the statement that it was a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. I agree with that because the things said in this document were true. In line 2 he says that the Soviet Union were not willing to co-operate with the other sides, that was true. The Soviets didn't want to co-operate with the other sides because they didn't the other sides didn't have the same ideals about communism. Also when he says that the Soviet Union wanted to extend their control into continental Europe is true. He wanted the whole world to be red(communist) and to get that he would have to start near him in Europe and then spread.



 
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?   
Yes it does seem likely that the American government was producing the same sort of documents. It seems that way because they were allies and we had the same viewpoints on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to take over the world and that the Soviet Union was the enemy.




3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. AND Explain how each factor helped.  
1. In Bulgaria a left-wing coalition won the government in 1945, the Communists then killed all the leaders in the opposing parties. This factor helped because when you get rid of all your competitors, you are the only one left and they have to give it to you. So they got control of the government by killing off everyone else.
2. In Hungary the Communist party became the largest party by imprisoning leaders of the other parties and attacking church officials. This factor helped in that when you kill off the opposition you win, like they did in Bulgaria, and when you attack people they are less likely to speak up against you. 
3. In Poland they forced the non-communist into exile. Again when you get rid of the other side you have won outright. That is what the did in Poland except they didn't kill them this time. They just forced him into exile, a lot better than killing him :).

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. What month and year did the Yalta Conference place?      
The Yalta Conference took place in February of 1945.




2. While the conference was taking place who were the Allies (Big Three) still fighting? Be specific. (Consider as well, what hadn't taken place yet that you've already studied.)       
While the conference was taking place the Allies were still fighting Germany and Japan. Even though technically they were still fighting against Germany the war was already over, the only one who didn't believe that was Adolf Hitler. The war in Japan although was still going strong.

 

3. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?       
Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin because he didn't want Stalin to get too much control and go overboard with it. Like taking over Germany making them part of the Soviet Union, or with Japan have that split into two different parts (North and South). Also he didn't want to make him make promises that he could ultimately break.

 

4. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?      
At the Yalta Conference the "Big Three" came up with some huge decisions. They would separate Germany into four different parts, one for the United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. Roosevelt also got Stalin to agree to join the United States in Japan once Germany was defeated, and to get him to come to a conference in San Francisco about the United Nations, which became a reality.