Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views Essay

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Introduction

The studies of the Cold War era are experiencing rejuvenation in the latest decade, mainly thanks to the availability of the previously classified documents. On certain occasions, the newly available documents play a major role in the understanding of a certain issue. However, much more often, the scholars are attempting an encompassing overview of all of the existing information, taking into account the newly available ones, to produce an objective bird-eye perspective.

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The book Debating the Origins of the Cold War: American and Russian Perspectives is the example of the latter. The authors attempt to present two distinct viewpoints on the Cold War period in the form of reflective analyses. The book consists of two parts, each representing one side of the conflict. The main section of each part is an in-depth essay that explains the understanding of the Cold War by one of the superpowers. Each essay is followed by the set of carefully selected documents to back up the arguments laid out by the authors.

American Perspective

The essay by Levering and Botzenhart-Viehe presents a thoughtful historical background to the Cold War-era tensions. According to the authors, the foundations for enmity were laid in the early twentieth century, roughly at the time of World War I (Levering, et al. 14). By then, the American worldview was already visibly reshaped by the Wilsonian ideals. At the same time, Lenin’s take on Communism was steadily gaining support from the rest of the world where Communist uprisings were taking place. The situation reached an apogee in 1933 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt recognized the Soviet Union, the decision followed by a substantial strengthening of the American Communist Party.

In addition, the fact that the American Government seemingly ignored the growing threat of Soviet espionage further alienated the public and led to multiple anti-Communist activities, such as the formation of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). By the beginning of World War II, a distinct hostile attitude was formed in governmental policies which coincided with the public opposition to Communist ideology in general and Stalin’s course of actions, in particular, countered by Roosevelt’s attempts to minimize the growing tension between the countries. Roosevelt tended to view the Soviets as valuable allies in America’s ultimate goal of becoming a leader in global affairs (Levering, et al. 22).

Aside from the obvious contribution to overcoming the major threat of combined German and Japanese forces, the Soviet Union was viewed by Roosevelt as a way to manifest the intention of the United States to gain the upper hand in international affairs. As Roosevelt himself put it, “We can fulfill our responsibilities for maintaining the security of our country only by exercising our power and our influence to achieve the principles in which we believe and for which we have fought” (Levering, et al. 23). Such exercising of influence could be manifested, among other things, by extending the cooperation with the Soviets beyond the war dealings and into the peaceful period.

By the end of WWII, a distinct American outlook has formed in the minds of the citizens, finding its reflection in the government policies. The chief tendency was towards establishing a fair, democratic society that recognized basic human rights and treated all people equally. Obviously, Stalin’s regime did not fit that description, which gradually established a distinct “us versus them” mentality. As a result, Truman’s unsuccessful attempts to negotiate compliance with these new values eventually ceased and the US foreign policy became gradually more anti-soviet (Levering, et al. 37).

Specifically, the focus shifted from an overarching reach to secure partnerships across the globe to selective alliances with similar-minded countries, most notably the ones from Western Europe. Another aspect of the new direction was the growing role of atomic warfare as a means of domestic, as well as international, security, and preservation of global peace. This trend later contributed to the arms race and eventually became an iconic representation of the late Cold War, giving rise to a number of cultural and social phenomena. Importantly, while the latter triggered sufficient controversy and garnered much criticism, the former was readily embraced by the general public.

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For instance, the belief in the superiority of the capitalistic values allowed the aid to Turkey and Greece, which was a part of the Truman doctrine, to be publicly accepted and supported. The same effect was largely responsible for the active participation of the US in the countering of the Soviet attempt to force communism in Germany.

In all, according to the essay, the American side of the Cold War can be viewed as driven largely by the belief in the ultimate righteousness of American internationalism. The latter, according to the overwhelming public understanding of the time, could be defined as a world driven by democratic and capitalistic values. This explains the economic support given to the countries of Western Europe and ceaseless attempts to discredit Communism along with the foreign policies aimed at raising geopolitical barriers to distance from what was perceived as a threat to democracy.

Russian Perspective

In contrast to the international scope of the American side, the Russian setting was more regional-oriented. Stalin’s early intentions were defined by the desire to strengthen the country’s integrity by securing the borders, which was achieved by amassing the support of the satellite countries. One of the results of such an approach was the reluctance to cooperate with external superpowers (which America was gradually becoming after the end of World War II).

More importantly, this changed Stalin’s perspective on certain events, such as the hesitation to open the second front. In Stalin’s eyes, this was interpreted as proof of the intention by the US to win the war using the Soviet Union as a tool. At this point, it is important to recognize the fact that such an opinion was not totally unjustified. According to Levering, et al., “The Red Army suffered fifty-five times more casualties than did U.S. forces and inflicted 93% of German combat losses between June 22, 1941, and D-day” (92). In addition, the secrecy of the Manhattan Project was viewed by the Soviet authorities as supporting the suspicion that the US was planning to challenge the security of the Soviet Union.

After the onset of Truman’s presidency, the conditions became gradually more challenging for the Soviets, even more so from Stalin’s perspective. The anti-Soviet policies adopted and exercised by Truman coupled with the intimidating effect of atomic weapons aligned with dictatorship-driven xenophobic paranoia common among the ruling elite of the country. In addition, the Soviet influence in Asia did not reach the planned magnitude because of the early termination of the war.

Finally, the takeover of Japan by the United States along with their growing influence on the continent convinced Stalin that he was pressed into a dire situation. In response, he launched a new five-year plan of raising industrial output, underpinned by the anti-capitalist ideology aimed, among other things, at purifying his political machine from disloyal elements (Levering, et al. 133).

The attempt by the US to change the world in its own image was perceived by the Soviet leaders as an indirect expansion ending in global hegemony. Consequently, to secure the integrity of his country, he was enforcing his ideological and political vision in Eastern Europe. Simultaneously, to strengthen his Eastern border, he sought partnership with China, which later played a major role in their shift to Communism. Overall, it can be seen that Stalin’s understanding of integrity and security was largely driving his interpretation of the actions by the US and, by extension, strengthened the antagonism between two powers.

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Conclusion

Judging from the information presented in the essays, the chief reason behind the onset of the Cold War was an almost grotesque level of misunderstanding between two superpowers. Specifically, the American perspective prioritized the egalitarian values and bringing democracy to the rest of the world. On the other hand, the Soviet elite perceived integrity and sustainability as defining features of a powerful nation.

Basically, both countries chose expansion as a means of achieving their goals which, unfortunately, were contradicting when viewed from the other side. Aside from the set priorities, both were largely similar in their means, and the magnitude of economic and military power at stake further complicated matters. As a result, all of the actions taken by each side further widened the gap and solidified the hostility, rendering feeble attempts to establish communication uselessly.

Work Cited

Levering, Ralph, et al. Debating the Origins of the Cold War: American and Russian Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002.

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IvyPanda. (2020, August 19). Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cold-war-origins-in-american-and-russian-views/

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"Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views." IvyPanda, 19 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/cold-war-origins-in-american-and-russian-views/.

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IvyPanda. (2020) 'Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views'. 19 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cold-war-origins-in-american-and-russian-views/.

1. IvyPanda. "Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cold-war-origins-in-american-and-russian-views/.


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IvyPanda. "Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cold-war-origins-in-american-and-russian-views/.

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