Origins of the Cold War:
The Cold War had its roots in World War II, when the repeated delays in opening a second front in Europe made the Russians suspicious of the Western Allies' motives. Those concerns were heightened when the United States discontinued lend‐lease aid to the Soviet Union soon after the war ended. Stalin's commitment at Yalta to allow free elections in Eastern Europe was quickly broken. To ensure “friendly states” on its western borders, the USSR supported and helped install Communist‐dominated governments in Poland, Bulgaria, and Rumania (Romania) in the spring and summer of 1945. Within a year, as Winston Churchill told an American audience, an “iron curtain” had descended across Europe, separating the “free” democratic nations of the West from the “captive” Communist nations of the East.
The Cold War had its roots in World War II, when the repeated delays in opening a second front in Europe made the Russians suspicious of the Western Allies' motives. Those concerns were heightened when the United States discontinued lend‐lease aid to the Soviet Union soon after the war ended. Stalin's commitment at Yalta to allow free elections in Eastern Europe was quickly broken. To ensure “friendly states” on its western borders, the USSR supported and helped install Communist‐dominated governments in Poland, Bulgaria, and Rumania (Romania) in the spring and summer of 1945. Within a year, as Winston Churchill told an American audience, an “iron curtain” had descended across Europe, separating the “free” democratic nations of the West from the “captive” Communist nations of the East.
Fundamental Differences and Role of Ideology:
Things had changed temporarily though because Hitler came to power and Stalin and the Soviet Union were redesigned as a kinder people. Although the two sides were able to unite over the common enemy of Germany, after the War people in the United States started to remember their differences. These differences between the two countries stemmed from their ideologies. Communism was the ideology followed by the Soviet Union. Originally founded by Karl Marx, it said that everything should be owned by the government and then divided up equally among the people who would then all work for it. Not only was the Soviet Union communist, they were totalitarian, meaning all the power was with the rulers. The United States was capitalist which meant that people could own land and businesses and compete for themselves. This led to a stark contrast between poor and rich. They were also a democracy, which meant it was the people who had a say by electing rulers. In the Cold War, the division was between these two sides, and there was very little in between.
Things had changed temporarily though because Hitler came to power and Stalin and the Soviet Union were redesigned as a kinder people. Although the two sides were able to unite over the common enemy of Germany, after the War people in the United States started to remember their differences. These differences between the two countries stemmed from their ideologies. Communism was the ideology followed by the Soviet Union. Originally founded by Karl Marx, it said that everything should be owned by the government and then divided up equally among the people who would then all work for it. Not only was the Soviet Union communist, they were totalitarian, meaning all the power was with the rulers. The United States was capitalist which meant that people could own land and businesses and compete for themselves. This led to a stark contrast between poor and rich. They were also a democracy, which meant it was the people who had a say by electing rulers. In the Cold War, the division was between these two sides, and there was very little in between.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HjvHZfCUI
Timeline:
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/660179910748274689
App - Thinglink:
http://www.thinglink.com/scene/644342797477871617
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HjvHZfCUI
Timeline:
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/660179910748274689
App - Thinglink:
http://www.thinglink.com/scene/644342797477871617