How far do you agree with the view that the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8 owed more to Soviet expansionism than to USA’s economic interests?
The Cold War, dated from 1945 to 1991, was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies, and powers in the Eastern Bloc, dominated by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. This began after the success of their temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences. Some of the major reasons for the development include Superpower Misjudgement, the difference in ideologies, the development of nuclear weapons and the traditional great power rivalry. In this essay I will be looking at 3 sources,
Many historians agree with the view that the development of the Cold War owed more to soviet expansionism than USA’s economic interests in the years 1945-48. All three of the sources show evidence that soviet expansionism played a huge role in the development of the Cold War. Source 7 especially emphasises Soviet expansionism as the most important factor claiming the USSR were “seeking to expand its influence into Western Europe” causing Western Attitudes to harden. However there is evidence in the sources to support the view that the USA’s economic interests owed more to the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-48. An example is evident Such as in source 8 which claims the USA wanted a war with the USSR to help its economy, emphasising the impact of the Military Industrial Complex on aggressive foreign policy which played a huge role in the development of the Cold War. Furthermore it can be argued that it was the misunderstanding and confusion between the two nations which owed more to the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8.
Soviet Expansionism played a huge role in the development of the Cold War...