The Cold War

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the various causes of the Cold War. The paper first explains that the Western powers feared that the Soviet Union would use its sphere of influence to encroach upon the remaining democracies in Europe, which were still weak in the aftermath of the Second World War. The paper also explains that Russia was poor, fearful and had an inferiority complex to the rest of Europe, who now felt even more threatened and open to attack. The paper then turns to Truman's reaction to Stalin's aggressive suppression of dissent in Eastern Europe and asserts that America's intervention was justifiable, and a welcome action for future democracies.

From the Paper:

"The Cold War, the war of tensions and nuclear stalemate that characterized the period immediately after the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin War divided Europe into two warring factions. On one side, the United States and most of the Western European powers it had striven to rebuild as the result of its Marshall Plan stood for freedom, sometimes only in name but often with genuine feeling and commitment. On the other hand, Soviet Russia held Eastern Europe in a grip of fear and terror. Was Stalin simply an evil man? According to Winston Churchill, that was the case."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Churchill, Winston. "Iron Curtain Speech. The Modern History Sourcebook. 1946.26 Jul 2008. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/churchill-iron.html
• Stalin, Joseph. "Reply to Churchill." The Modern History Sourcebook. 1946.26 Jul 2008. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1946stalin.html
• Truman, Harry. "Truman Doctrine." Address to Congress 1947.26 Jul 2008. http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/trudoc.htm

More papers on The Cold War:

• Article Review # 122091 : "Review of "The Cold War: What do we Now Know?"
• Analytical Essay # 66991 : "The Cold War"
• Book Review # 124367 : "The Cold War"
• Comparison Essay # 56723 : "Dr. Strangelove" and the Cold War in America"

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