Warsaw Pact
Assess the importance of two of the following Soviet policies in the origin and development of the Cold War: Sovietization of Eastern and Central Europe; Comecon; Warsaw Pact
There are many factors that contributed to the origins and development of the Cold War, such as the clash in ideologies, Marshall Aid, the creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), various Soviet Policies- just to name a few. Many historians, have argued that it was actually Soviet Policies that were essential to the Cold War’s cultivation. Due to the nature of the title, this essay will focus on importance of two Soviet Policies: the Warsaw Pact and the Sovietization of Eastern Europe. I believe that the Sovietization of Eastern Europe was an extremely …show more content…
Firstly, Stalin argued that a Soviet sphere of influence was required to ensure security for Russia and the USSR. By doing so, this created both a mental and physical barrier between the countries of West and Eastern Europe. This mental barrier was first publicly mentioned in Winston Churchill’s Sinews of Peace speech, in which he spoke ‘From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe’. This ‘iron curtain’ was later manifested into a wall that spanned from the Baltic Sea to Czechoslovakia. Though people had accused Winston’s speech as unnecessary, it would begin to set in their minds a division. By creating a wall across Europe, as well as preventing emigration to and fro, it would cement a real divide, instead of promoting cooperation and a thaw to the Cold War, thereby, heightening the Cold War further. Secondly, the Sovietization of Eastern Europe went against all of the promises that Stalin made at the Potsdam and Yalta conferences. Secondly, very few of the satellite states were particularly keen on communism- they did not appreciate the idea of being told what to by the Kremlin. As a result, they were forbidden from accepting any Marshall Aid. One could say that this was a rather important factor that led to increased tensions between the Cold Warring
There are many factors that contributed to the origins and development of the Cold War, such as the clash in ideologies, Marshall Aid, the creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), various Soviet Policies- just to name a few. Many historians, have argued that it was actually Soviet Policies that were essential to the Cold War’s cultivation. Due to the nature of the title, this essay will focus on importance of two Soviet Policies: the Warsaw Pact and the Sovietization of Eastern Europe. I believe that the Sovietization of Eastern Europe was an extremely …show more content…
Firstly, Stalin argued that a Soviet sphere of influence was required to ensure security for Russia and the USSR. By doing so, this created both a mental and physical barrier between the countries of West and Eastern Europe. This mental barrier was first publicly mentioned in Winston Churchill’s Sinews of Peace speech, in which he spoke ‘From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe’. This ‘iron curtain’ was later manifested into a wall that spanned from the Baltic Sea to Czechoslovakia. Though people had accused Winston’s speech as unnecessary, it would begin to set in their minds a division. By creating a wall across Europe, as well as preventing emigration to and fro, it would cement a real divide, instead of promoting cooperation and a thaw to the Cold War, thereby, heightening the Cold War further. Secondly, the Sovietization of Eastern Europe went against all of the promises that Stalin made at the Potsdam and Yalta conferences. Secondly, very few of the satellite states were particularly keen on communism- they did not appreciate the idea of being told what to by the Kremlin. As a result, they were forbidden from accepting any Marshall Aid. One could say that this was a rather important factor that led to increased tensions between the Cold Warring