CHAPTER SUMMARY

The Cold War was a manifestation of tension as a result of several overwhelming factors which can be classifies as ideological, economic and political difference between two super powers the United States and Soviet Union before the Second World War and immediate after escalated into mutual distrust and suspicion.

According to Miall (1998), ―wars often arise from the juxtaposition and combination of previously unrelated chains of events. Indeed, it is this juxtaposition that is one of the factors which give the occurrence of war its surprising and dramatic quality‖. He went further to state that ―at the same time, what matters most is not the juxtaposition in time of different chains of events, but the meaning these events have for those who are responsible for taking decisions‖. Miall opined that ―we cannot properly explain their occurrence unless we understand not only the chain of events which led to them, but also the mental world of the participants and the connections they made. It is this which makes wars particularly difficult to predict‖ (Miall, 1998).

Ideological Incompatibility

Generally speaking, the United States and the Soviet Union have different ideological leanings. The United States political system favoured capitalism and democratic culture while the Soviet Union represents communism and a political culture they emphasizes absolutism. For instance, in the United States, people are free to form political associations, parties and have their own opinion which culminates in the election of the government of their choice through the process of free ballot. In the Soviet Union, political activities is totalitarian and revolves around only the Communist Party that denies the people right to form their own political party with a traditionalist Imperialist tendencies that also deny the people the right of assembly, speech and of the press. No doubt, when these societies with different systems of government that seems to juxtapose themselves come in contact, there is bound to be little compromises between United States and Soviet Union. Each side had a different view on how to establish and maintain post war security. According to Gaddis (1990) the western allies desired a security system in which democratic government as possible. The animosity between the United States and Soviet Union were stimulated by the 1917 Bolshevik revolution which enthroned a Marxist government that was opposed to capitalistic imperialism. According to Morgenthau (1983) the United States fears of Marxism stimulated the emergence of anticommunism as an opposing ideology. Ideology has been defined by Kegley and Wittkopf (2001) as ―a set of core philosophical principles that leaders and the citizens collectively hold about politics.

The interest of political actors, and the ways people ought to ethically behave‖

Economic

One of the economic values of capitalism is free market operation which encourages free trade. This is the kind of position that the United States represented and desired to extend throughout the world. In contrast, the Soviet Union and its economic activities abhor and would not want to risk the Soviet Union being opened to perceived negative influence from the west on its people and consequently erode the strength of the communist totalitarian regime. Thus, their various foreign policies exhibit these interests which were perceived in different light that generated ill feeling between the two powers.

Power Rivalry

The power vacuum created at the end of the Second World War from multipolar system in Europe and the general economic decline and depression in Europe gave unprecedented advantage to Soviet Union to dominate the affair of east Europe. The United States with its economic advantage and nuclear superiority after the World War became the undisputed leader of the West and focal point with its foreign policy for economic assistance to countries in Europe at that time became the only state capable of filling the power vacuum. The vacuum of military and economic power was complemented by a political vacuum and such a vacuum can hardly persist became nature abhors vacuum. Only Russia, which did not demobilize after the war and did not dismantle its war time military establishment would be in a position to fill the vacuum. Furthermore, the Soviet‘s expansionist aggression had brought all Eastern Europe including important parts of Germany under it. Thus, the axis power was still so immediate and Atlantic allies must as of necessity rally opinion against axis power without expressing hostile suspicion. By this the Cold War is inevitable.

Extension of Soviet Influence in Europe

Prior to the end of Second World War, the Soviet Union had extended the frontiers of its political and military influence in Europe, especially in the east through the military expeditions of the Red Army. By 1945, the Soviet Union had acquired the curzen line as new boundary with Poland. Thus, the big three, Winston Churchhill of Britain, Franklin Roosevelt of United States and Joseph Stalin of Soviet Union, at the Yalta Conference, could not agree on what shape and size Europe should look and how borders could be drawn, following the war‖ (Gaddis, 2005). One reason responsible for this, according to John Lewis Gaddis is that ―Russian historical experiences with frequent invasions, sought to increase security by controlling the internal affairs of countries that border it‖. However, both America and Britain opposed among others the Soviet position on these very many issues. Consequently, there was no firm consensus on the framework for post war settlement in Europe.

Furthermore, the Soviet Union in its desire to consolidate its control in eastern Europe circumvented the post –war election process by inti midating voters, change the voting list, and ultimately influencing the result in favour of the Communist Party through the Red Army. Similarly, by the late 1946, the Communist Party was becoming a formidable party in Western Europe, where it encouraged Communist to actively participate in the post – war election in France an d Italy.

The Reaction of the United States

The United States did not immediately considered the implication of the geo-political expansion and influence of the Soviet Union and the spread of communism in eastern and central Europe, therefore, did not advocate strong resistance before May, 1945, but afterwards the government favoured a policy of strong resistance against Soviet Union. After the Yalta Conference, the United States under President Roosevelt had no doubt about Stalin‘s promised democratization process in eastern Europe under the influence of Soviet Union by setting up freely – el ected parliamentary governments in the area. Therefore, President Roosevelt did not considered resistance against the Soviet Union. President Harry Truman succeeded Roosevelt after his death on April 12, 1945, Truman, unlike Roosevelt never believed the communist Stalin to set up democratic government, this conviction prompted his paradigm shift of strategy of containment and the twin policies of the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine to contain and resist the Soviet expansion and the spread of communism. Truman could not concede the fear and concern of the United States government for the continued threat of Soviet expansion into Western Europe having established her control in Eastern Europe.

The military nuclear technological advancement of the United States especially with the development and successful explosions of her first atomic bomb prior to the Potsdam Conference placed the United States in a better stead which gave Truman an overwhelming confidence to consider the option of adopting a stiffer attitude to check the expansion of Soviet Union in Europe. In addition, the overbearing posture of Stalin and the Soviet Union after the Second World War left much to be desired. For instance, Moscow determined quest to extract heavy reparation from Germany, accusing Britain of upholding a reactionary monarch in Greece, supporting an Italian fascist regime in Trieste and Stalin‘s undiplomatic truncation of Truman‘s proposal on the internationalization of all principal waterways. These were some reasons that scholars and government have advanced over the years that may have spur the reaction or the United States in strong and stiffer resistance to the expansion agenda of the Soviet Union and the spread of communist in Europe.

Poor Relations Between the United States and the Soviet Union

The deteriorating relations between the west and east after the Second World War was brought to the front burner after the ―Sinew of Peace‖ speech commonly referred to as Iron Curtain by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Prior to the speech, the western allies were immensely grateful for the proactive role played by the Soviet Union in defeating Hitler‘s Germany but were also weary of Moscow that have hitherto concentrated its energy is on post–war eco nomics. According to Winston Churchill ―From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent‖ the above descriptive phrase revealed the secret agenda of the Soviet Union which more any other became a catalyst that change the way the democratic West viewed the communist East. The speech increased the distrust and suspicion of the Soviet Union by the United States that have become weary of Soviet aggressive geopolitical expansion and spread of communism in Europe.

It is worthy of note that earlier two major but insignificant issues had occurred but were capable of deteriorating diplomatic relations. Firstly, during the World War II the United States supplied and provided material support for the allied nations through a lend and lease programme. Soon after the war, the United States abruptly terminated the programme while the ravaged Soviet Union was still in need of post war economic reconstruction assistance. Secondly, the United States ignored Soviet request for economic assistance her post–war reconstruction pro gramme.

As we have mentioned earlier, the causes of the Cold War are deeply engrained in the ideological, economic and political differences between the United States and the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, the causes are located within the ambit of several issues explained above but include overwhelming fear and distrust by both countries plan of possible attack from each other. Though, President Harry Truman had a personal dislike of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who he described as secretive, the activities of the Soviet Union in their occupied territory in Germany provoke the United States and the apprehension of that the Soviet Union that might use western Europe (Cuban missile site) as a military base to attack it.