To What Extent was the Cold war Caused by Ideological...

The Cold War, a period of sustained political and military tension between the USA and the USSR, resulted in various viewpoints concerning the cause of the tension emerging. Until today the question remains unresolved, even after the 1991 release of Soviet archives. The main point of disagreement relates to the roles that ideology played in the events between 1945 and 1949. Was it the strongly opposing ideologies, capitalism and communism, or power and material interest that drove both superpowers to the decades of struggle for global supremacy. The orthodox view regarding the cause of the Cold War, formed the standard interpretation between the 1940s and early-1960s. The breakdown of the wartime alliance and the expansion of Soviet†¦show more content†¦For example, William Appleman Williams in his 1962 book, ‘The Tragedy of American Diplomacy’, argued that the U.S. considered the â€Å"open door† policy as essential to the continuous prosperity of the United States. He claimed that no post-war agreement with the Soviet Union would have ben set until the Soviets allowed the U.S. free trade in eastern Europe. But this of course was not what the Soviet Union wished to have in the region. So, the U.S. put too much pressure on the Soviets through plans such as the Marshall Plan and this in return put the USSR on the defensive. Once the USSR entrenched itself to protect its interests, no room to Once the Soviet Union entrenched itself in order to protect its interests, there was no room to compromise on the makeup of post war Europe. Thus, security fears where supposedly at the heart of Soviet policy. One of the first diplomatic moves by the U.S. in the Cold War was atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima August 6th 1945 and three day later one Nagasaki. Revisionist Gar Alperovitz argues that President Harry S. Truman and his Secretary of State, James F. Byrnes, could have ended the war without using the atomic bomb and that the weapon was more of an instrument to intimidate the Soviets. The intention was to end the conflict before the Soviet Union had an opportunity to declare war on Japan, marchShow MoreRelatedThe Origins Of The Cold War2356 Words   |  10 PagesHI742/HI747- The Cold War, 1941-1991 How Important were individual figures in the origins of the Cold War? The Cold War refers to a period post World War II characterised by a state of political tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States both supported by their allies from the Eastern and Western blocs respectively. 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