Cold War Dbq Analysis

Both the economic interests of the USA and Soviet Expansionism ideology, arguably catalysed the development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1948 - without both of these contributing factors there would have been no war. However, tension and backhanded rivalry on the economic front severely threatened US/ Soviet relations, fronting a prominence of attack by the USA and provoking the Soviets into retaliation.
One major factor that could easily be blamed for starting the Cold War is the USA’s own economic interests. Truman desperately needed large businesses to continue to be profitable in order for the USA to avoid entering another economic downfall, and the business boom after the Second World War contributed greatly to the temporary security
On the 9th of February 1946, Stalin stated that the next five year plans would focus on heavy industry and claimed wars with imperialism were inevitable. Stalin also made clear divides between capitalism and communism, alarming the US greatly. It is somewhat understandable that the US were alarmed by the speech, as it hinted that Stalin was seeking world reform and revolution. However, being held at an election rally, the speech needed to see Stalin win votes. In order to get elected , Stalin threw rash promises into the ring to satisfy the want and need of his voters. Truman’s personality could therefore be blamed for not recognising this well used political tactic as a bypass for votes, and not as a promise of attack on the
Initially believed to have been implemented by Stalin to aid the “spread of communism to Western Europe”, the Berlin Blockade was the first action taken by the Soviets in the war. In an attempt to starve the west into giving into communism, Stalin closed all roads, rail and canal links to West Berlin. With help from the West’s developing economy, the East had not with communism. The clear divide in living standards between Capitalism and Communism rulings were pedestalled for all the world to see, threatening Stalin’s approach for Communism’s spread. Many orthodox historians believe that Stalin therefore commenced the Berlin blockade because he wanted to start starving the west into submission, so he could spread communism west. However, threatening this theory was Stalin’s paranoia, and it could be argued that he felt threatened by the possibility of Soviet satellite states seeing the benefits of capitalism drowned by the downfall of communism. Stalin couldn’t risk this, so had to act by weakening capitalism and exposing its own downfalls. Stalin’s reluctance to expand further across Europe could also be used as evidence to support the idea that this was not an act of Soviet expansionism. Source 9 states “withdraw the Soviet Union behind its new defensive east European barrier” suggesting Truman chose to blow the Berlin