Events Influencing The Cold War Essay - 1075 Words

During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies. After the war the two countries emerged as the two most powerful countries in the world. Although the world war ended, it was not a clean ending. Iron-willed Stalin wanted a postwar settlement that would guarantee the Soviet Unions security and future. He wanted parts of Poland and Finland and the Baltic states. With Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union would have a buffer against future aggression from the West, colonies for rebuilding the economy, and new territory to the Communist world map. Roosevelt, on the other hand, opposed colonialism and the spread of Communism. For the next couple decades until 1991, the US and USSR would be locked in an arms race known as the†¦show more content†¦Although we only had two bombs left after bombing Nagasaki and Hiroshima, we still developed elaborate plans in case of war with Russia. In 1946 Pincher had a design that will enable us to obliterate 20 Russian cities w ith nuclear bombs. In 1948 a more detailed plan was designed that consisted of dropping 34 nuclear aerial bombs against 24 Russian cities. New nuclear plans were continually introduced all the way up to 1982. Truman declared his stance against the Soviet Union in 1947 with his major foreign policy address and the Truman Doctrine. Applying that all rebel movements around the world are inevitably linked to the Soviet Union, Truman offered people everywhere in the world who resisted Totalitarianism to receive aid from the United States. After the destruction of Germany after the world war, other major countries of Europe, France and Italy, also faced take over by Russia. In June 1947 US Secretary of State delivered the Commencement Address that reached out to these countries to appeal to the US. With the implementation of the Marshall Plan, billions of dollars was pumped into Europe every year to aid these countries. In the next couple of years, Russia began imposing itself upon other nations. Communism was imposed over Hungary in 1947, and in 1948, the Czechoslovakia government was also taken down. In resistance to the Russian force, the United States, Canada, and some European nations created a new defense organizationShow MoreRelatedSoviet Expansion Into Eastern Europe1280 Words   |  6 Pages Security has been disputed to be another driving factor, and possibly the main factor to the cause of the cold war as it is interlinked both with ideology and the nuclear race. For instance, ideology and security both influenced the same event, which in this case was the creation of the Eastern bloc. (Heywood, 2014) stated that Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe was seen as â€Å"defensive rather than aggressive†, motivated essentially by a buffer zone desire. Security was an important factor becauseRead MoreA Look at the Final Chapter of Timothy Glander’s Book, Origins of Mass Communications Research During the American Cold War: Educational Effects and C1149 Words   |  5 PagesThe final chapter of Timothy Glander’s book, Origins of Mass Communications Research During the American Cold War: Educational Effects and Contemporary Implications (2000) stands as a disappointing example of academic research becoming hijacked by the author’s personal opinion . Focusing on the hidden nature of propaganda in American life, his concluding chapter presents a very drastic view of the individuals who crafted the academic subject now known as mass communications. I see the need for investigatingRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union980 Words   |  4 PagesHarbor, Hawaii, combined with Adolf Hitler’s declaring war on the United States, propelled America into World War II from 1939-1945. 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