After the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, the United States and the USSR were quick to forget any comradery that each felt for one and other during the war. Rather, after the completion of the war, the two sides pointed their barrels at their once allies and would remain in a defensive stalemate until the early 1990s. A bomb ended the war in Japan but set the stage for the Cold War. The use of the atom bomb and the inherent differences in political systems between America and Soviet Russia prompted this new war of ideology. Furthermore, the polarizing leaders of each country, systematically and fundamentally pitted together lead each country deeper into conflict. Harry S. Truman, President of the United States from 1945-1953 and
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Depending on perspective, the blame for the cause of the Cold War can be placed on either leader. Two authors, Walter LaFeber and John Lewis Gaddis presented their thoughts in essays which directly contradict. Gaddis presents the argument that Stalin prompted the Cold War with his ambitions to expand communism mixed with his treatment of allies and threatening use of possible force compelled Truman to take a defensive response. On the other hand, LaFeber states that it is Truman who is responsible for the inflated tensions between the two countries. LaFeber’s essay and the idea that Truman initiated the Cold War is more persuasive in that it suggests that Truman’s inability to handle the Red Scare, aggressive foreign policy and insecurities lead to the Cold …show more content…
Truman was able to use the great fear of communism to put himself over with Americans and convince Congress to expand the power of the President. This gigantic economic aid package was unlike anything that the United States had put together in the past and marked the first time that Americans would get involved in another country’s civil war (Major Problems in American History, Hoffman 318). This set the precedent in the minds of the Soviets that Americans were enemies of the state and were willing to intervene in foreign conflicts, creating more tension derived from Truman. The aggressive nature of the Truman Doctrine lead to an even more aggressive Marshal Plan that had underlying language that would make the Soviets more probable than not to reject it. This constant angering of the Soviets goes against past ideas of containment. Truman kept pushing the boundaries of foreign policy to heights never reached before. Gaddis suggests that “Stalin’s imperialism” (Major Problems in American History, Hoffman 323) was threatening which prompted the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan. However, a war-torn Russia was in position to expand as it struggled to take care of its own. Stalin was trying to expand to other countries politically rather than with force such as Hitler’s invasion of Poland. This political method would see
Depending on perspective, the blame for the cause of the Cold War can be placed on either leader. Two authors, Walter LaFeber and John Lewis Gaddis presented their thoughts in essays which directly contradict. Gaddis presents the argument that Stalin prompted the Cold War with his ambitions to expand communism mixed with his treatment of allies and threatening use of possible force compelled Truman to take a defensive response. On the other hand, LaFeber states that it is Truman who is responsible for the inflated tensions between the two countries. LaFeber’s essay and the idea that Truman initiated the Cold War is more persuasive in that it suggests that Truman’s inability to handle the Red Scare, aggressive foreign policy and insecurities lead to the Cold …show more content…
Truman was able to use the great fear of communism to put himself over with Americans and convince Congress to expand the power of the President. This gigantic economic aid package was unlike anything that the United States had put together in the past and marked the first time that Americans would get involved in another country’s civil war (Major Problems in American History, Hoffman 318). This set the precedent in the minds of the Soviets that Americans were enemies of the state and were willing to intervene in foreign conflicts, creating more tension derived from Truman. The aggressive nature of the Truman Doctrine lead to an even more aggressive Marshal Plan that had underlying language that would make the Soviets more probable than not to reject it. This constant angering of the Soviets goes against past ideas of containment. Truman kept pushing the boundaries of foreign policy to heights never reached before. Gaddis suggests that “Stalin’s imperialism” (Major Problems in American History, Hoffman 323) was threatening which prompted the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan. However, a war-torn Russia was in position to expand as it struggled to take care of its own. Stalin was trying to expand to other countries politically rather than with force such as Hitler’s invasion of Poland. This political method would see