To what extent did the events of 1945-1946 turn war-time allies into Cold War enemies?
To what extent did the events of 1945-1946 turn war-time allies into Cold War enemies?
During the Second World War, the United States and Russia had been allied in order to defeat Nazi Germany. However, following the end of the war and the victory over Germany, relations between America and the Soviet Union began to decline, culminating in the Cold War. Whilst the orthodox view of the Cold War, as held by historians such as Thomas Bailey, is that Stalin and the USSR were responsible for the start of the Cold War in their aggressive expansionism following the end of World War II. However, revisionists such as William Appleman Williams suggest that the relationship between Russia and America was weak before the Cold War, but that there were issues between the two powers before and during the war, and that the alliance between them was merely a marriage of convenience. The events of 1945-6 were important that they turned the tension between the USSR and the USA to a position where they were Cold War enemies, but the deep rooted conflict between the two powers was more important, as the differences in ideology were the main reason that the events of these two years came about.
The first point to be considered is the difference in ideologies that existed between America and the Soviet Union. Due to the fact that the USA was a capitalist country and the Soviet Union was a communist state, both felt threatened by the ideals of the other for political and economic reasons. Politically, the two powers were in stark contrast. The USA was built around liberal democracy, where every person has the right to vote, stand for election and holds the right to freedom of speech, worship and free press. The USSR, on the other hand, was a one-party state, where the Communist party was the only political party allowed. Elections were between individuals who were members of the Communist Party. Economically speaking, America was based on capitalism, where private enterprise is
During the Second World War, the United States and Russia had been allied in order to defeat Nazi Germany. However, following the end of the war and the victory over Germany, relations between America and the Soviet Union began to decline, culminating in the Cold War. Whilst the orthodox view of the Cold War, as held by historians such as Thomas Bailey, is that Stalin and the USSR were responsible for the start of the Cold War in their aggressive expansionism following the end of World War II. However, revisionists such as William Appleman Williams suggest that the relationship between Russia and America was weak before the Cold War, but that there were issues between the two powers before and during the war, and that the alliance between them was merely a marriage of convenience. The events of 1945-6 were important that they turned the tension between the USSR and the USA to a position where they were Cold War enemies, but the deep rooted conflict between the two powers was more important, as the differences in ideology were the main reason that the events of these two years came about.
The first point to be considered is the difference in ideologies that existed between America and the Soviet Union. Due to the fact that the USA was a capitalist country and the Soviet Union was a communist state, both felt threatened by the ideals of the other for political and economic reasons. Politically, the two powers were in stark contrast. The USA was built around liberal democracy, where every person has the right to vote, stand for election and holds the right to freedom of speech, worship and free press. The USSR, on the other hand, was a one-party state, where the Communist party was the only political party allowed. Elections were between individuals who were members of the Communist Party. Economically speaking, America was based on capitalism, where private enterprise is