Word count: Date: 28/03/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: How important was mutual suspicion and fear in the origin of the Cold War? Mutual suspicion and fear were important elements in shaping the origin of the Cold War to a large extent. Not only did communism and capitalism had mutually antagonistic aims thus creating inevitable conflict, countries of both parties became overwhelmingly concerned of what the other would do, which creates a lack of trust and taking actions that enforced their views. Therefore coexistence at this point seemed unattainable, highlighted by the quick ceasing of relations between the USSR and the US shortly after WW2. The timeline of the Cold War were quickened by the pace of fear, which motivated both sides to shield themselves with protection, as suggested by the creation of atomic bombs by both America and Russia. Therefore, it appears mutual suspicion and fear acted as catalysts that began and speeded up the Cold War. However, other factors also contributed to the creation of the Cold War era, such as opposing objectives, influences by particular leaders and the state of the economy at that time. To begin with, Capitalist and communist values have opposing aims. Capitalism involves a society of social classes and encourages businesses and people for private profiting, which is the contrary of communism. Fear in the conflict of goals, this eventually led to the establishment of numerous friendly soviet blocks that surrounded the USSR, created by Stalin to protect their economy and style of government. These friendly states included Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. However, this has also played a role in the origins of the Cold War when America rejected USSR requests to share occupation of Japan during the Potsdam conferences. It was here that they decided the punishments to apply to defeat Germany. By not addressing Russian demands to suit them, this suggests the West feared for Russias expansion of communism, and to prevent this expansion, later known as containment. This suggests mutual suspicion that both sides of the political spectrum had actual intentions to spread their form of beliefs through the world. This is further emphasized back around the Russian Revolution where Trotsky suggested a racial form of communism not only based on making Russia a communist state but spreading communism to secure countries all over the world, known as a permanent world revolution. Mutual suspicion and fear in terms of creating advanced of weaponry was important in the continuity of the Cold War timeline. Americas creation of the atomic bomb and its successful testing was revealed to Stalin by Truman at the Potsdam conference increased the Russian susceptibility of capitalist desire to pressure the USSR from its continuing actions of setting up more soviet territory, evidenced by Soviet annexations of Baltic States between 1939 and 1940. This ultimately led to the Russians creating their version of the atomic bomb as early as 1949, while the Americans assumed it would take Russia as much as 20 years to create the bomb. Russian suspicions can be confirmed tracing back when Truman did not inform Stalin of the use of the bomb towards Japan. Stalin therefore saw a lack of trust in their relationship as allies, further suggesting the ally is one of convenience, not conviction. This may have also increased Russian fears of an atomic bomb used against them by the Americans. This in due course led to more extreme measures which often neared to the use of nuclear bombs, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mutual suspicion is important in not only beginning the crisis but continuing this series of indirect tensions which nearly led to the use of nuclear weapons. This eventually led to the making of the Moscow-Washington hotline so the two governments can negotiate before the use of weapons and also an agreement pledging not to use nuclear weapons as 1

Word count: Date: 28/03/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: How important was mutual suspicion and fear in the origin of the Cold War? a method of solution in resolving tensions. In terms of weaponry and technology, mutual suspicion in the origin of the Cold War has helped increase the magnitude of suspicion during the mid years of the Cold War. For example, the US nuclear football, a suitcase following the President containing instruments and instructions to carry out a nuclear attack was created after the Cuban Missile Crisis when John Kennedy was suspicious of Moscow officials may launch missiles without the authority of the Moscow government. On the other hand, there were other factors that also played a role in the beginning periods of the Cold War. It can be said due to the opposing objectives, tension was inevitable and would not have arise without dominating countries who had varying views on how to lead the world. This is further emphasized by individuals like Trotsky, who instilled fears onto the West by declaring a permanent world revolution should take place, instead of only based on Russia itself. This might have been another reason the majority of Western allies were not hesitant to be quiet when the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed and declared. Therefore, particular individuals have further emphasized the definition of fear, which is not mutual. Furthermore, although mutual suspicion and fear were vital in creating the Cold War era, this has been supplied through a moderately good economy. After World War One, America and Japan become the largest financiers to profit from the war, since they supplied ammunition and weapons to other countries for war supplies. Therefore, they were not dependent on external factors, such as increasing their trade. This explains the absence of a need to open more markets, such as making exceptions to the treaty applied to Russia, since at that time Russia was already in ruins and had an isolated market. Furthermore, after World War One, Americas financial troubles were less compared to post US Wall Street crash in 1929. Therefore, America mainly lived in prosperity which suggested the availability of funds to research on the creation of an atomic bomb. It would have been unattainable to develop weapons at such as massive scale when the economy of the world was falling. This can be emphasized the quote, When America sneezes, everyone else catches the cold. Due to the terrible state the economy was in 1929, America was mainly quiet when faced with other threats to its Capitalist values, such as the failure to identify a possible creation of a single party state in Germany led by Hitler.