COLD WAR ORIGINS
Some historians still dispute when the Cold War started. Some argue that it started as early as 1917, when the Bolsheviks swept to power during the October Revolution (which actually took place in November), murdered the Russian Royal Family and created the world's first communist state. This interpretation would appear to hold that the Cold War was fundamentally based on ideological differences. Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin often invoked a Marxist interpretation of history that held capitalism and resulting imperialism responsible for socio-economic problems. Inherent to this view was that capitalism had to be destroyed and that communist revolution needed to be embraced, instantly distinguishing itself as an existential threat to many Western countries who ultimately supported non-Communist forces (the Whites) during the Russian Civil War.
Some historians argue that the Cold War began in the late 1930's, during the peak of Britain and France's appeasement policy towards Hitler's Nazi Germany. The paranoid Stalin believed that, particularly after the Munich Conference of 1938, that these Western powers were trying to encourage and enable a German war with the Soviet Union and this suspicion played a role in his decision to sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Alternatively, some historians also cite 1943 as a critical year for the Cold War rivalry. At the Allied Conference in Casablanca, Roosevelt and Churchill announced that they were delaying the liberation of Western Europe until 1944, preferring to invade Italy instead. Again, Stalin viewed this decision contemptuously, convinced that the USA and UK were deliberately trying to weaken the USSR by prolonging the war. This view appears to place emphasis on geopolitical security concerns as the main factor behind the cause of the Cold War.
Nationalism certainly played a part in the Cold War, as it has in many 20th century conflicts. Many historians have argued that German nationalism (Especially between 1870 and 1945) and Russian nationalism (especially after 1945) were the biggest challenges to peace and security in Europe during the 20th Century. Maybe this idea of competing nationalist ideals may be most significant- combining ideological and geopolitical factors- as it indicates that the Cold War was an inevitability. After all, the USA and Russia were competing for influence in Central Asia throughout the 19th century,
However, for the purposes of this unit of study, we will focus primarily on the events between 1945 and 1949, beginning with the Yalta Conference and ending with the creation of NATO.
Some historians argue that the Cold War began in the late 1930's, during the peak of Britain and France's appeasement policy towards Hitler's Nazi Germany. The paranoid Stalin believed that, particularly after the Munich Conference of 1938, that these Western powers were trying to encourage and enable a German war with the Soviet Union and this suspicion played a role in his decision to sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Alternatively, some historians also cite 1943 as a critical year for the Cold War rivalry. At the Allied Conference in Casablanca, Roosevelt and Churchill announced that they were delaying the liberation of Western Europe until 1944, preferring to invade Italy instead. Again, Stalin viewed this decision contemptuously, convinced that the USA and UK were deliberately trying to weaken the USSR by prolonging the war. This view appears to place emphasis on geopolitical security concerns as the main factor behind the cause of the Cold War.
Nationalism certainly played a part in the Cold War, as it has in many 20th century conflicts. Many historians have argued that German nationalism (Especially between 1870 and 1945) and Russian nationalism (especially after 1945) were the biggest challenges to peace and security in Europe during the 20th Century. Maybe this idea of competing nationalist ideals may be most significant- combining ideological and geopolitical factors- as it indicates that the Cold War was an inevitability. After all, the USA and Russia were competing for influence in Central Asia throughout the 19th century,
However, for the purposes of this unit of study, we will focus primarily on the events between 1945 and 1949, beginning with the Yalta Conference and ending with the creation of NATO.
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