Julia Di

Hines Pd. 8
Cold War Origins (pg. 45- 50)
WWII left a power void in Central Europe, one that Soviet Russia seemed poised to step
in. The irreconcilable ideological differences between the Soviet Union and the United States
had already generated tensions, with both assuming the worst of the other. Various schools of
thought emerged, some regarding the Soviet Union as a monolithic and expansionary communist
power (orthodox), and some regarding the United States as an imperialistic capitalist power
(revisionist). Americans began a policy of containment, and the Soviet Union began a series of
aggressive and expansionary policies in Europe, further execrating tensions. By the 1950s, with
the advent of the nuclear age, both camps had entrenched themselves in an unavoidable conflict.
Key Personalities:
James Byrnes: Secretary of State (July 1945 Jan. 1947)
Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of England
Ludwig Erhard: West Germany Minister of Economics
Klement Gottwald: Communist Czech Prime Minister after 1948
George Kennan: professor of Russian history
General George Marshall: Secretary of State (1947 49)
Joseph Stalin: Soviet leader
Edward Stettinius: Secretary of State (1944 45)
Harry Truman: President
Walter Ulbricht: East Germany General Secretary (1950-57)
Andrei Vishinski: USSR representative to UN, delivers two camps speech
Chronology
Tehran Conference (Nov. 1943): between Big Three about opening second front
Operation Overlord (June Aug. 1944): second front begins with Normandy, but the Soviets
feel that the second front was delayed and they were left to die by the West
Yalta Conference (Feb. 1945): post-war Europe, Russians attack Japan in 90 days
Potsdam Conference (July Aug. 1945): decided war reparations and post-war peace
Aug. 6, 1945: Hiroshima and Aug. 9, 1945: Nagasaki
Feb 1946: Iran Crisis
Long Telegram Feb 22, 1946: By Kennan, warns about the Soviets
March 2, 1946: Iran Withdrawal
March 5, 1946: Churchills Iron Curtain speech separates communist and West
Sept 6, 1946: Stuttgart Speech
March 1947: Truman Doctrine, $300 million to Greece and Turkey
June 5, 1947: Harvard Address, Marshall Plan/European Recovery Plan
Czech Crisis (Feb. 1948): Czech coup
Berlin Crisis (1948):
o Berlin Airlift
o June 24, 1948: Operation Vitties
NATO (April 4, 1949): commits US to international military organization

Julia Di
Hines Pd. 8
Summary
The Cold War left the world stage in fear of the Soviet-American arms race and proxy
wars. The Cold War resulted from many instances of miscommunication, and failures to act upon
potential areas of compromise. Both major parties wanted to triumph over the other while
avoiding direct war with each other, as the scars of WWII were still fresh; the arms race and
proxy wars (Korea and Vietnam) helped fill this void, becoming the indirect battlegrounds for the
communism versus capitalism struggle.
Historiography
Martin McCauley: The Origins of the Cold War 19411949 the Cold War was an
inevitable result of tensions between two dominant world powers
William McWilliams: The World Since 1945 blames both U.S. and Russia for Cold War