The Cold War: 1946-1960

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the central problem seems to have revolved around the desire of the West to liberate the states of Eastern Europe through democratic reforms and a capitalist economy; however, Joseph Stalin, the tyrannical leader of the Soviet Union, felt that he was entitled to rule the Eastern European countries that the Soviet Union had occupied during the war. The author points out the term "Iron Curtain" meant that the West and the East were divided by an invisible barrier beginning in Berlin, Germany, a barrier based on political divisiveness and social agendas, which could only be penetrated by d'tente and threats, especially via the use and proliferation of atomic weapons. The paper relates that on December 20, 1950, former President Herbert Hoover stated, "Americans have no reason for hysteria or loss of confidence in our security or our future, (for) within American security rests the future security of all mankind"; thereby, summing up the entire Cold War. The United States must persevere to guarantee that such atomic annihilation never occurs, even in a world filled with the possible horrors of uncontrolled technology.

From the Paper:

"On January 10, 1946, the first General Assembly of the newly formed United Nations convened in London with U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes leading the American delegation. In all, fifty-one nations, most of which were heavily involved in World War II and suffered millions of casualties, took part in this global meeting. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan was one of the prime reasons for this delegation, due to the realization of the immense power of atomic energy and its potential for misuse in the form of atomic weapons. On January 24, the U.N. agreed to an international Atomic Energy Commission that in essence would impose highly restrictive laws regarding atomic energy and its use in wartime as well as in peacetime. Some historians have recognized the development of this commission as the initial trigger for the Cold War, due to the fact that it "placed the Soviet Union, while under the control of Josep Stalin, in a position of defending itself against preconceived enemies that wished to destroy the Communist/Socialist system.""

More papers on The Cold War: 1946-1960:

• 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"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: