The Cold War Was Due to Major Changes in the Balance of Global Power Essay
The cold war was due to major changes in the balance of global power created by the second world. The west had always viewed Stalin with distrust and suspicion, Stalin’s past history of teaming up with the Nazis helped determine his credibility issues in the USA. Stalin believed that America purposely stalled deployment of its troops to Russia just so the Nazis would do severe damage and kill many Russian soldiers. When Germany was defeated in 1944 the alliance of Russian and the USA also broke apart.With the Nazis rule of over Europe ended many wondered who would take control over the respective territories leaving the USSR as the front runner.
Through the Russians re distribution of the war torn land throughout Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Romania, and Albania this enabled the USSR to maintain military control throughout these countries. Right after the war communist parties sprouted up in all of these countries that Russia had control over.By 1948 most of Eastern Europe had Communist governments; this was very alarming to the United States. President Truman opposed the Soviets wide spread military and economic influence over Easter Europe. Mr. Truman believed that Stalin was using taking advantage of the war torn countries and using unjustified influences to control their countries. The United States of America was afraid that eventually Stalin’s far reaching political and military influence would eventually percolate westward than into Across the Atlantic into America.Fearing the past German invasion, Stalin maintain the he was simply creating a safe zone for defensive reasons rather than trying to take over countries in Eastern Europe and eventual the United States of America.
The iron curtain was a clear symbolized a clear division within Europe. Under Stalin’s regime, 15 countries and 500 million people were under communism . By 1945 the nuclear bomb was created, many feared that the fate of the entire world rested in the hands of a few men. America now became the new super power in military and sciences.
America financed nuclear research and evelopment while the USSR was still devastated by the huge cost of war. Stalin and Russia privately were shaking to their core due to the Americans dropping the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima; they silently feared it could happen to them. The Soviet Unions and the United States economic policies could not be further from one another. America wanted free trade throughout the globe and Stalin wanted economic isolation in order to protect itself from western influences. Before 1950 over 15 million Germans emigrated from the Soviet occupied eastern European countries to the west within five years following World War II.In 1947 the United States devised a plan to stop the spread of communism and promote unification by introducing Marshall Plan which would give grants to European countries ravaged by war. Once Stalin refused this financial grant many other countries followed and they created their own trade bloc. Europe was now official split into two economic camps.
Most of the states of Europe west of the iron curtain allied themselves with the United States and Canada within Nato. During the mid-70’s, the Soviet economy was deteriorating under the effects of a bureaucratic system, the costly arms race, and an unsuccessful war in Afghanistan.A new leader named Gorbachev came into power in 1985. Gorbachev wanted to end the Cold War and to bring economic and political reform to the Soviet Union. He introduced new agreements with the United States, concerning unilateral concessions in the armaments race. He also brought an end to Soviet support of client governments in Eastern Europe and in Cuba. He eased the police state repression in the Soviet empire and took steps to bring together a democratic political process.
Gorbachev new leadership rapidly improved relations with the United States and ended the Cold War.
