DELHI COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE
University of Delhi
2018-21
Semester-VI
Department of History
Topic- Cold War; Origin and major
Developments
History of the USSR: The Soviet Experience
(1945-1991)
Submitted By: Submitted To:
VIKAS KUMAR Mrs. PRERNA GAUTAM (mam)
248
, INDEX
• Introduction
• Reasons of Cold war
❑ Potsdam conference
❑ Truman’s Doctrine
❑ Marshall Plan
❑ The Cominform
❑ Iron Curtain
❑ Barlin Blockage 1948
• Major developments
❑ NATO/Warsaw Pact
❑ Space Race
❑ Arms Race
❑ Arms control treaties
❑ The Cuban Missiles crisis, 1962
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
,INTRODUCTION
The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between the
Soviet Union and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the
United States with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.
The after the World War II was the beginning of an era defined by the decline of
the old great powers and the rise of two superpowers: the Soviet Union (USSR)
and the United States of America (U.S.), creating a bipolar world. Allied during
World War II, the U.S. and USSR became competitors on the world stage and
engaged in the Cold War, so-called because it never boiled over into open war
between the two powers but was focused on espionage, political subversion, and
proxy wars. Western Europe and Japan were rebuilt through the American
Marshall Plan whereas Eastern Europe fell in the Soviet sphere of influence and
rejected the plan. Europe was divided into a U.S.-led Western Bloc and a Soviet-
led Eastern Bloc.
The term "Cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly
between the two sides.
Postwar Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fueled many Americans fears
of Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what
they perceived as American officials bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and
internationalist approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere,
no single party was entirely to blame for the cold War; in fact, some historians
believe it was inevitable.
Reasons of Cold War
Durning the World War Allied countries (US, UK and France) and Soviet Union
fought together against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, Austria). However,
this wartime alliance could not workout after World War II, due to multiple
factors.
,Potsdam conference
➢ The Potsdam conference was held at near Berlin (July 17- August 2, 1945)
was the last of the World War II meeting held by the “Big Three” heads of
the state. Featuring American President Harry S. Truman, British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill (and his successor, Clement Atlee) and Soviet
Premier Joseph Stalin to discuss:
• Established a council of Foreign Ministers and a central Allied Control
Council for administration of defeated Germany.
• Demarcation of the boundary of Poland.
• Occupation of Austria.
• Role of Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.
➢ Soviet Union wanted some portion of Poland (bordering Soviet Union) to be
maintained as a buffer zone. However, the USA and UK didn't agree to this
demand.
➢ Also, the USA did not inform the Soviet Union about the exact nature of the
atomic bomb, dropped on Japan. This created suspicion in Soviet Union
about the intentions of western countries, embittering of the alliance .
➢ This created suspicion in the Soviet leadership.
Truman's Doctrine
With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United
States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic
nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. The Truman
Doctrine effectively reoriented U.S foreign policy, away from its usual stance of
withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the United States, to one
of possible intervention in far away conflict.
The Truman Doctrine was a US policy to stop the Soviet Union’s communist and
imperialist endeavors, through various ways like providing economic aid to other
countries.
• For example, US appropriated financial aid to support the economies and
militaries of Greece and Turkey.
, Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine marked the official
declaration of the Cold War.
Truman argued that the United States could no longer stand by and allow the
forcible expansion of Soviet totalitarianism into free, independent nations,
because American national security now depended upon more than just the
physical security of American territory. Rather, in a sharp break with its traditional
avoidance of extensive foreign commitments beyond the Western Hemisphere
during peacetime, the Truman Doctrine committed the United States to actively
offering assistance to preserve the political integrity of democratic nations when a
such an offer was deemed to be in the best interest of the United States.
Marshall Plans
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was a U.S
program providing aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War
II. It was enacted in 1948 and provided more the $15 billion to help finance
rebuilding efforts on the continent. It was crafted as a 4-year plan to reconstruct
cities, industries and infrastructure heavily damaged during the war and to
remove trade barriers between European neighbors-as well as foster commerce
between those countries and the United States.
One of the stated goals of the Marshall Plan was halt the spread communism
on the European continent.
Implementation of Marshall Plan has been cited as the beginning of the Cold
War between the United States and its European allies and the Soviet Union,
which had effectively taken control of much of central and eastern Europe and
established its satellite republics as communist nations.
Still not all participating nations benefitted equally. Nations such as Italy, who
had fought with axis power alongside Nazi Germany, and those who remained
neutral (e.g., Switzerland) received less assistance per capita than those countries
who fought with the United States and other Allied powers.
In all, Great Britain received roughly one-quarter of the total aid provided
under the Marshall Plan, While France was given less than one fifth of the funds.
University of Delhi
2018-21
Semester-VI
Department of History
Topic- Cold War; Origin and major
Developments
History of the USSR: The Soviet Experience
(1945-1991)
Submitted By: Submitted To:
VIKAS KUMAR Mrs. PRERNA GAUTAM (mam)
248
, INDEX
• Introduction
• Reasons of Cold war
❑ Potsdam conference
❑ Truman’s Doctrine
❑ Marshall Plan
❑ The Cominform
❑ Iron Curtain
❑ Barlin Blockage 1948
• Major developments
❑ NATO/Warsaw Pact
❑ Space Race
❑ Arms Race
❑ Arms control treaties
❑ The Cuban Missiles crisis, 1962
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
,INTRODUCTION
The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between the
Soviet Union and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the
United States with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.
The after the World War II was the beginning of an era defined by the decline of
the old great powers and the rise of two superpowers: the Soviet Union (USSR)
and the United States of America (U.S.), creating a bipolar world. Allied during
World War II, the U.S. and USSR became competitors on the world stage and
engaged in the Cold War, so-called because it never boiled over into open war
between the two powers but was focused on espionage, political subversion, and
proxy wars. Western Europe and Japan were rebuilt through the American
Marshall Plan whereas Eastern Europe fell in the Soviet sphere of influence and
rejected the plan. Europe was divided into a U.S.-led Western Bloc and a Soviet-
led Eastern Bloc.
The term "Cold" is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly
between the two sides.
Postwar Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fueled many Americans fears
of Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what
they perceived as American officials bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and
internationalist approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere,
no single party was entirely to blame for the cold War; in fact, some historians
believe it was inevitable.
Reasons of Cold War
Durning the World War Allied countries (US, UK and France) and Soviet Union
fought together against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Japan, Austria). However,
this wartime alliance could not workout after World War II, due to multiple
factors.
,Potsdam conference
➢ The Potsdam conference was held at near Berlin (July 17- August 2, 1945)
was the last of the World War II meeting held by the “Big Three” heads of
the state. Featuring American President Harry S. Truman, British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill (and his successor, Clement Atlee) and Soviet
Premier Joseph Stalin to discuss:
• Established a council of Foreign Ministers and a central Allied Control
Council for administration of defeated Germany.
• Demarcation of the boundary of Poland.
• Occupation of Austria.
• Role of Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.
➢ Soviet Union wanted some portion of Poland (bordering Soviet Union) to be
maintained as a buffer zone. However, the USA and UK didn't agree to this
demand.
➢ Also, the USA did not inform the Soviet Union about the exact nature of the
atomic bomb, dropped on Japan. This created suspicion in Soviet Union
about the intentions of western countries, embittering of the alliance .
➢ This created suspicion in the Soviet leadership.
Truman's Doctrine
With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United
States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic
nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. The Truman
Doctrine effectively reoriented U.S foreign policy, away from its usual stance of
withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the United States, to one
of possible intervention in far away conflict.
The Truman Doctrine was a US policy to stop the Soviet Union’s communist and
imperialist endeavors, through various ways like providing economic aid to other
countries.
• For example, US appropriated financial aid to support the economies and
militaries of Greece and Turkey.
, Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine marked the official
declaration of the Cold War.
Truman argued that the United States could no longer stand by and allow the
forcible expansion of Soviet totalitarianism into free, independent nations,
because American national security now depended upon more than just the
physical security of American territory. Rather, in a sharp break with its traditional
avoidance of extensive foreign commitments beyond the Western Hemisphere
during peacetime, the Truman Doctrine committed the United States to actively
offering assistance to preserve the political integrity of democratic nations when a
such an offer was deemed to be in the best interest of the United States.
Marshall Plans
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, was a U.S
program providing aid to Western Europe following the devastation of World War
II. It was enacted in 1948 and provided more the $15 billion to help finance
rebuilding efforts on the continent. It was crafted as a 4-year plan to reconstruct
cities, industries and infrastructure heavily damaged during the war and to
remove trade barriers between European neighbors-as well as foster commerce
between those countries and the United States.
One of the stated goals of the Marshall Plan was halt the spread communism
on the European continent.
Implementation of Marshall Plan has been cited as the beginning of the Cold
War between the United States and its European allies and the Soviet Union,
which had effectively taken control of much of central and eastern Europe and
established its satellite republics as communist nations.
Still not all participating nations benefitted equally. Nations such as Italy, who
had fought with axis power alongside Nazi Germany, and those who remained
neutral (e.g., Switzerland) received less assistance per capita than those countries
who fought with the United States and other Allied powers.
In all, Great Britain received roughly one-quarter of the total aid provided
under the Marshall Plan, While France was given less than one fifth of the funds.
