How far do you agree with the view that the Cold War developed after the Second

World
War due to US fear of the Soviet Union?

The Cold War developed after the Second World War due to several reasons, one of them could
be the US fear of the Soviet Union, but ideology, personalities and national conflicting interests
were also responsible for the increased hostility after 1945. On the one hand, Extract 1 agrees with
the question stating ‘these moves (referring to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan) arose
because of fear’, on the other hand, Extract 2, focuses on the American egoism, ‘overextending
their policies and power and refusing to accept Soviet interests’. Good introduction that presents
both views of the sources

Firstly, Extract 1 adopts an orthodox or traditionalist view, alluding communism as a danger and
demonstrating that the establishment of US policies was due to fear of the USSR. M P Leffler
claims that the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were introduced because of fear, ‘fear that,
across the world, power vacuums, financial hardship, and revolutionary nationalist movements
might play into the hands of the Soviet Union’, meaning that if there was not stability across
Europe, revolution would favour Communism and subsequently, the Soviet Union. Also, the
Truman Doctrine (1947) was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter
Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War, trying to stop communism from expanding
Europe. This policy was essential because as the First Extract states, the Soviet Union had ‘the
capacity to capitalise upon political weaknesses and economic disorder’. Consequently,
communism was dangerous to Europe’s integrity as, in America’s view, the Soviet Union would try
to take advantage of Europe’s economic depression and impose as¡ totalitarian government.
Furthermore, according to Leffler, the Marshall Plan (1948) was only introduced to rehabilitate the
economies of Western Europe, contributing to an increase of safety and secureness, weakening
communism at the same time. Truman stated, ‘Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this
fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East.’, this is a strong
reference to the domino theory and the ‘’effect’’ Truman is describing refers to the Soviet
domination, which was feared by Americans. Good use of source

Moreover, within the Truman Doctrine, the policy of ‘containment’ emerged, trying to stop
communism from spreading all over Europe. This policy of ‘containment’ was introduced due to the
USA’s fear of the Soviet Union and Stalin’s recent actions after the Second World War. For
instance, the delay in implementing the agreement od Polish-Soviet-German borders, were seen
as being provocative to the USA. Stalin promoted further suspicion and tension, for example, in
February 1946 warned the USSR of the danger of a future war waged by the capitalist powers,
justifying the introduction of 3 further Five-Year Plans to strengthen Soviet economy. His policy on
Poland 1945 and the ‘Stalinisation’ of Eastern Europe (1945-1948), made the USA’s suspicion to
increase, being this mistrust accentuated with the change of American President from Roosevelt to
the anti-commmunist Truman. Good point

Moreover, both Extracts concur on the conclusion that cooperation between the countries was
nearly impossible. Extract 1 explains that ‘The US had to challenge Communism because it was
linked to this totalitarian rival’, meaning that the USA would not start dialogue between tham and
the Soviet Union, as they believed the country to be totalitarian and even a threat. This is
corroborated by the fact that the Geneva Summit (1955) was the first meeting between both
superpowers after the end of WWII, ten years after the Potsdam Conference. Also, B J Bernstein
states that Americans believed that ‘the Soviet state could be halted only by force or the threat of
force’, this again can be exemplified by the lack of dialogue or negotiation, including the American
policy of containment. In this way, both historians agree that at this point of time (1945), friction
was starting to develop between the USA and the USSR, being this the beginning of the Cold War.
Although Leffler and Berstein have different views on which country was more aggressive, they
describe this period of time as one of tension and suspicion. Excellent inferences
Nonetheless, we see an alternative argument in Extract 2 which highlights the abuse of American
power after the Second World War. Instead of showing the USA as the victim of an aggressive
USSR, this extract wants to demonstrate how the USA’s policies ‘contributed to the Cold War’. As
aforementioned the change of American President had an impact in the development of the Cold
War. The Potsdam Conference can be seen as the first American ‘’attack’’ on the USSR, as the
American leader was negotiating from a position of strength after having developed nuclear power,
now having nuclear monopoly. Truman began his 'get tough' policy in 1946 with strong protests
against Russian troops in Iran, forcing them to withdraw and the denial of Soviet claims to share
control of the Turkish Straits. Actions such as, supporting Greece’s right-wing-authoritarian
government against its left-wing-republican opponents, or supporting Turkey, which was under no
threat from any internal enemy or from the USSR, but was considered strategically vital in the
Mediterranean, did not help in establishing dialogue between the leaders. Moreover, USA’s
response to Soviet ‘sphere of influence’ could be considered as exaggerated, Bernstein points out
‘there is evidence that Russian policies were reasonably cautious and conservative, and that there
was at least a basis for agreement’, the evidence could be that these ‘buffer zones’ were defensive
and not expansionist, however, Truman decided to implement the policy of ‘containment’ to stop
communism. Excellent

Furthermore, the Marshall Plan was established to promote ‘dollar imperialism’. As the creator of
the plan, George C. Marshall himself said, “Our policy is not directed against any country, but
against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos.” Nevertheless, the assumption was that improved
economic conditions would reduce popular sympathy for communism and mobilize support for US
sponsored democratic and liberal solutions to Western Europe’s problems.Marshall. Truman’s
intention in implementing the plan was to draw Western countries away from the power that the
Soviet Union had, directly undermining Soviet powers in the region. By having “strings attached” to
the financial aid packages that they provided to Europe, the United States maneuvered to have a
larger control over the domestic and foreign policies of Western European countries, were 13
billion dollars flowed to other Western countries.The main doubt coming from this plan is whether
the US proposed because of generosity or ‘dollar imperialism’. Extract 2 explicitly states ‘Soviet
suspicion and antagonism grew as Americans delayed providing economic assistance to Russia’.
Good argument in this paragraph …coherent and extract well summarised

In addition, USA’s fear of the Soviet Union or American selfishness ? could have developed the
Cold War, but the differing ideologies of both countries could be blamed for the postwar tension. As
alluded in the Second Extract, ideology was one of the factors that contributed to a polarisation of
positions. Conflicts and crises that originated with the Soviet Union, were caused by Russian
expansionism. This in turn was part and parcel of Marxist-Leninist ideology which envisaged the
world victory of socialism over capitalism, communism is/was centered on the idea of establishing
a society based upon public ownership of the means of production and the removal of any form of
social classes. Communist regime became a threat to American society because, as John Gaddis
recognises, Marxist ideology “brought hope to the poor, fear to the rich, and left governments
somewhere in between”. Capitalism is a right-wing ideology that is fundamentally based on: private
ownership, competition, free trade, self-reliance, self-interest, and the principles of supply and
demand, viewed as requiring confrontation and military production to survive. An exemplification of
capitalism could be the ‘Open door policy’, which was based on free trade and the removal of
protectionism, favoured ‘equal opportunity’ in all foreign markets. However, given the enormous
economic power of the US, this could only lead to American international domination. Excellent
summary of ideological differences

All things considered, it is reasonable to assume that the USA’s fear of the Soviet Union did play a
major role in developing the Cold War. However, this factor can also be stated as a mutual
misinterpretation and misunderstanding of each other's policies, ending in fear and alarm between
the superpowers. Although thus misinterpretations were certainly essential in creating an
atmosphere of suspicion and tension which polarised the two conflicting countries, the Soviet
perspective (Extract 2) argues that the USA’s economic aggression led to the clash while, while
from an American point of view (Extract 1) the Stalinist Doctrine is seen as expansionist. However,
all these tensions were underpinned by their differing ideologies, as Hitler stated ‘the laws of both
history and geography will compel these two powers to a trial of strength, either military or in the
fields of economics and ideology’.

Excellent Guadalupe
You have demonstrated a rigorous understanding of the origins of the cold war and used both
extracts to drive forward your coherent arguments!