THE AMERICAN POLICY IN THE EARLY PHASES OF THE COLD WAR

Thalia C. Sanders Contemporary International Relations Course #POL300-004016 Week Nine: 11/20-26/2006 Instructor: Dr. Cronin

Sanders, Thalia C.

Introduction:. ................................................................................................................................ 3 1. The Origins of the Cold War: .............................................................................................. 3 2. Defining the Cold War: ........................................................................................................ 5 3. Nation States of the Cold War period:................................................................................ 6 4. Issues that escalated the cold war: ...................................................................................... 7 5. Communist role in the early phase of the cold war: ........................................................ 10 6. The American foreign policy of democracy: .................................................................... 11 7. Conclusion: .......................................................................................................................... 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY:..........................................................................................................................

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THESIS: The American foreign policy was necessary to lead the (early) cold war period. Introduction: The research paper is about the origins of the Cold War, the time that the silent but cold war began. The research traces the strategic and diplomatic responses from Lenin and Stalin and Khrushchev. In addition to the diplomatic responses from Truman (and Kennedy), NATO was used through out the cold war period. The various doctrines and policies that were applied probably were the best solution to maintain placid international relations among the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. However, the policies and doctrines did not prevent the spread of communism. Communism was probably contained through the Truman doctrines. The policies and doctrines responded diplomatically in the cold war from 1945 to 1991. Lastly, the policies and doctrines that were issued during the cold war may have resulted in many other conflicts, German reunification, the Berlin wall coming down and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

1.

The Origins of the Cold War: The Cold War period began in or around 1945, and ended between 1989 and 1991. The

cold war probably began right at the end of World War II, and ended probably around 1989. The cold war period consisted of fear and distrust. However, the Truman Doctrine was the first doctrine implemented during the Cold War, in 1947. During the early phase of the cold war, the U.S. was the only nuclear and industrial power in the world. The Cold War probably began in Germany on April of 1945; however the division of Germanys German Communist Party (KPD) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), probably formed the Socialist Unity Party (SED). In the initial phase of the cold war, Poland had temporary borders, the French were cooperating, and the Western Allies had a presence in Germany, in 1946. In addition, the city of Berlin became split into occupation zones; the Russians controlled the west; the British controlled the

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northwest, and American occupied the southwest at the end of World War but at the onset of the Cold War period. Nevertheless, Berlin remained an ally to America and on May 12, 1949 Stalin backed down from the blockade. Like the cold war, the Marshall Plan was issued under President Truman, and was an extension of the Truman Doctrine. The Marshall Plan was the American Foreign policy that confronted the Berlin Blockade via the airlifts into Berlin, in spite of Stalins blockade. The blockade began on the night of June 23, 1948. The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, had annexed the Bloc as Soviet occupied zones, as well as all of the land routes between the western zones of Berlin were closed. The response to the Soviet blockade against the allies was to organize an unprecedented airlift into Berlin (west), which lasted until May 12th 1949 because the Soviets lifted the blockade on Berlin.1 The U.S. remained the premier power in the cold war because it could attract more allies than the Soviet Union (Roskin 2005, 229).2 Please be mindful that the cold war period, was a period that both Superpowers were courting other nations for an allegiances and for alliances. However, some nations were able to remain neutral. On the contrast, Stalin found an opportunity to practice collectivization in East Europe. Thus, East Germany became a (security belt) buffer state and Poland was transformed into an agricultural state. The factories of Poland were relocated into the slums of Russia. The buffer zones of Eastern Europe were effective because they were not a military threat. Nevertheless, many people lost their lives during the Cold War, and by the end of the World War there many more lives lost.

Haydock, Michael D. City Under Siege: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948-1949. Washington, D.C.: Brasseys, 2000; Roger G. Miller. To Save a City: The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949. Seattle, WA: University Press of the Pacific, 2002. 2 Michael G. Roskin and N. O. Berry. Contemporary International Problems: International Relations. (Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall: Prentice Hall, 2005), page 229.

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Although the Soviets and the U.S.A. were allies in World War II, there was so much suspicion amongst the two nations that the Soviets behavior led the U.S. policy of containment. The Truman doctrine issued the containment policy, that started pretty much after the onset of the cold war, as well as the Marshall Plan during the spring of (March) 1947. 2. Defining the Cold War:

The term Cold War is used to describe the tension and struggle for power and prestige between the Western powers and the Communist bloc. In addition, Roskin defines the cold war as an early period of armed tension between the Soviet Union and the West (88),3 The Cold War had started when America became disillusioned with Stalins violation of the Yalta Agreement. In addition, the struggle remained against the U.S. and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies. Moreover, the U.S. government was concerned that the Soviets had plans to expand westward. Nevertheless, it was the Yalta agreement which probably had two definitions of democracy in Europe. Roskin claimed that it was the Yalta agreement which may have caused the cold war, on the part of the U.S. and we felt the need to spread democracy and stop communism, in our own version (88).4 A few years after the end of World war II, the American foreign policy was aggressively promoted. The policy was democracy that was implemented as the American foreign policy, in International Relations during the period of the Cold War. In addition, the policy of the Marshall Plan and Containment were instituted at the onset of the cold war. Finally, the cold war was a period of military and political tension between the Soviets and the U.S. that led to the communist seizing power in Eastern Europe; the Russian occupation zones in Germany (and Austria) were blocked; and threats were directed against Turkey and Greece at the onset of the Cold War.
3 4

Ibid. p. 88. Ibid.

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3.

Nation States of the Cold War period:

Roskin stated that the realist application started right after World War II, and helped create and perpetuate the bipolar system of the Cold War (11).5 However, the bipolar system was somewhat dangerous for a system of power, however, it lead to a number of good sized (non-nuclear) wars. The distinction of bipolarity that was unlike a dangerous system was that it was comforting because each nation knew where they stood. For instance, the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had influenced the U.S. to reverse its traditional policy, under the Truman Administration. For the Americans, it was necessary to have NATO and the Marshall Plan implemented so that they could lead the cold war period to stop the spread of communism. NATO was formed shortly after the cold war began, which was in April 1949. NATO was the arm of the European security track. Unlike the western bloc, the communist bloc had also formed the WARSAW (Pact) Treaty Organization, for Eastern Europe. The WARSAW Pact was formed almost ten years after the onset of the cold war. Moreover, NATO was probably formed by the West Bloc to contain the Communist led and controlled East Bloc. In 1949, there were twelve nations that belong to NATO: The U.S. Canada, Britain, France, Iceland, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark and Norway. The sphere of influence was very important. Like prestige, influence was very important and probably was enhanced by nuclear capabilities. The Western European nations were under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, in the period of the cold war, which was known as an extended deterrence and probably credible too. Therefore, the explosion of the first atomic weapon gave the U.S. prestige. However, the Soviets launched the earths first satellite, the Sputnik in 1957. On the

Ibid. page 11.

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contrast, the Soviets prestige was damaged after they collapsed over 30 years later, in or around 1991. However, after Stalins death in 1953 the European counterpart for democracy in the Western (front) bloc still felt that they needed U.S. leadership.6 In 1956, Hungary had remained a Soviet satellite state, often times any of their attempts as a sensible democracy were crushed. The principle allies of the U.S. during the period of the cold war were Britain, France, West Germany, Japan and Canada. Yet, the superpowers both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. ideological competition was building the arms race, which remained from the very onset of the cold war period. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with the exception of Taiwan, had gained control over the Chinese nation. In 1949, China was a nation that had ideological differences with the Soviet Union so much that it had led to skirmishes on the Manchurian border, of mainland China. In addition, mid-way during the cold war period China had sided with the U.S. On the other hand, shortly after the cold war had begun than China had wholly supported other aspiring East Asian communist nations, as well as North Korea against the U.S. led United Nations troops, in the Korean War 1950-1953. Then, Communism had certainly been introduced with dissension closely following Malaya, Laos, nations of the Middle East and Africa. Next, fighting broke out against communist lead North Vietnam and the South Vietnamese, led by the U.S., who applied the containment doctrine. Lastly, the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia under Nikita Khrushchevs leadership, during the early phases of the cold war period. 4.
6

Issues that escalated the cold war:

Ibid. p. 11

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The first reason why the cold war period probably occurred was because of the way that the international politics had shaped the intense rivalry between the two great blocs of power, and the political ideologies they represented. The U.S. led allies represented democracy and capitalism. The Soviet led communist bloc represented communism. However, the Soviets ideological differences with China were beginning to come apart, in the 1960s. I think that it was a blow to Russia that the U.S. continued to support nationalist China and needed a reason to side with China against the U.S.S.R. The Soviets made China an ally in the early part of the Cold War under the leadership of Lenin. It was under the Khrushchev (doctrine) leadership that alienated China while under Maos leadership. Next, the Soviets created hegemony over the Eastern European Nations. Moreover, the French, British and American sectors of West Germany remained as West Germany. Then another part of Germany was ceded back to Austria, and the Republic of Austria was formed under the States Treaty, and also remained a neutral nation through out the cold war period. The fate of the renewed Austria was sealed in a deal on the eve of the 1955 Geneva Conference, etc. Thirdly, the core of the conflict was the struggle around the postwar Germany. After World War II, the nation of Germany under Hitler was conquered and divided into separate occupation zones. It would be years before the American led efforts of Germany would experience reunification. On the contrast, the French, British, American and Soviet had created separate but occupied zones in West Germany. In May 1949, the nation state of West Germany was established. However, the communist Republic of East Germany was formed in October 1949. Shortly after the start of the Cold-War, in the mid-1950, the Soviet and Western powers convened for the Geneva conference to address the key issues of the cold war. The key issues of the cold war period consisted of German reunification, the danger of a surprise nuclear attack

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(which probably lead to the nuclear proliferation of the 1980s and 1990s), and the looming Cold War outside Europe, the U.S. led war against Vietnam started in 1965 and lasted until 1975. Unlike the Vietnam war that ended mid-way through the cold war period, it was the Korean War conflict that started during the early phases of the Cold War and in the Truman administration, which was the by the U.S. led coalition forces of 1950-53. Fourthly, the U.S. and other European powers resented Russias new leadership, that the earl cold war period was inevitable. The struggle over the fate of Eastern Europe was the first crucial phase of the Cold War. Russia appealed against capitalism and wanted to lead an international movement for other local communist parties. The problem was that the soviet model was never truly Marxism, but more like Marxism/Lenism and a nation that could was easily be reformed and governed in an authoritarian style. In the 1960s the communist community was shook up by the speech (es) that had leaked outside of the Kremlin. As a result, the Soviet-Chinese relationship had stemmed from ideological differences, and the tension led to troops being mobilized to the Soviet-Sino border. In short, many leaders believed that Stalin would move past the European nations that he had picked up in the violation of the Yalta agreement, of the 1945 Yalta Conference. Finally, the beginning of the cold war and the Yalta agreement involved the Soviets allowing free democratic elections in Eastern European nations. On the other hand, the Soviets repudiated the Yalta agreement by (1) installing communist regimes that were loyal to Moscow and (2) too many troops remained in Eastern Europe. Although the iron curtain was obvious in 1946, there may have been several other key or central issues in the early period of the cold war that caused the cold war that was led by both Super powers. However, I have listed only a few that we find most interesting, during the early period of the Cold War.

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5.

Communist role in the early phase of the cold war: At the end of the World War II, The Soviet Unions role in spreading communism

became more apparent to the U.S. and the Western Front, of Europe. The Soviet Unions main role in the early phase of the cold war was probably an enemy of the U.S., which lasted for about 40 years, during the cold war. The cold war consisted of a battle for alliances, allegiances, prestige, and power in military strength and nuclear capability, technology and economics and even in an arms race. The U.S. was the leader of the Western democratic nations of NATO. The Soviet Union was the leader of the nations of the communist bloc organization known as the WARSAW (Pact) Treaty Organization. Nevertheless, the U.S. was involved with quite a few other nations during its bitters struggle for ideological differences between communism and the capitalists form of democracy against the Soviets. Nevertheless, the Western nations led by the U.S. were beginning to feel threatened by the Soviets expansionist policy. Likewise, the Soviets were traditional Russians motivated by their national interest and were also beginning to fear the ongoing incursion of the West. Moreover, threats and pressure were directed at Turkey and Greece that did not cease from the Soviets. The Soviets were ready to put Turkey and Greece behind its iron curtain. For the U.S. the threats of communist expansion that was directed at Turkey and Greece were a new permanent and global national interest for the U.S. Therefore on March 12, 1947, President Truman announced that the U.S. would help Turkey and Greece and block communist expansion. Then in 1944 and 1945, the communist gained control of Albania and Yugoslavia. Next, the Soviet Union helped bring some communist governments to power in 1946 and 1947,

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the nations were: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland. Lastly, in 1947 the U.S. issued the Truman Doctrine (created by President Harry S. Truman). The Truman Doctrine was the primary foreign policy that the U.S. used from the beginning to end of the cold war. Roskin stated that all of the doctrines that were used during the cold war were simply policies that are variations of the first doctrine, The Truman Doctrine. The Truman Doctrine was also known as the containment policy that was a written article by George F. Kennan, in 1947 (64).7 The goal of the U.S. Policy, especially during the cold war, was to stop the spread of communism. 6. The American foreign policy of democracy:

The U.S. used many effective foreign policies. It is difficult to say which foreign policy was the most effective, on the period of the Cold War. However, the economic problems of Western Europe made the nations feel vulnerable to the Soviets control or expansionist policies. In the summer of 1947, the U.S. led a massive economic aid program for the Western European economies. Therefore, the Truman Doctrine consisted of the Marshall Plan, also known as the Economic Recovery Program. However, the Marshall Plan was worth at least $12 billion U.S. dollars, and was used during the Berlin Blockade as an effort to contain communism. Like the Marshall Plan, the containment policy was an expansion of the Truman Doctrine. At the start of the cold war, a memo by Kennan was written that laid out Americas ideology during the cold war against the aspiring expansionist possibilities of the USSR and it was known as the policy of containment. The extension of the Truman Doctrine, the containment policy was similar to the Marshall Plan. Unlike the Marshall Plan, the containment policy would be used to directly confront the Russians with counterforce as the Soviets showed expansionist tendencies.

Ibid. page 64.

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Although the U.S. led cold war used efficient foreign policies. The Soviets did not exercise efficient economic policies. The Soviet Union did not economically reform the inputs and their technological gains were far too expensive to maintain their high-tech ventures etc. The Soviet economy continued to decline. Michael Gorbachev left power, around August 1991; but the Soviet Union still collapsed on December 25, 1991. Before the Soviets collapsed, however, their sphere of influence was characterized as a week like satellites state in Eastern European. Moreover, the Soviet hegemony rule over the Eastern European states had collapsed because the regime lacked legitimacy. Gorbachev stated that the Eastern European states failed to get their true and genuine glasnost and perestroika. On the contrast, I believe that the American leadership helped the expansionist aims of the Soviet to fail. Lastly, the partition that separated East and West Berlin, the Berlin Wall had fallen, in 1989. The political wall that had divided Germany had finally come down. The Berlin Wall had divided East and West Europe since 1960. 7. Conclusion:

The Marshall Plan greatly contributed to the economic recovery of Europe. The Marshall Plan mission was completed by 1953. The Marshall Plan was also known as the European Recovery Program (ERP). The Marshall Plans purpose was to integrate the economies of Europe. The Marshall Plan functioned through Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA). The ECA was established by an Act of the Truman administration. The ERP dispersed $12 billion dollars, until 1951.

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On the other hand, the Europeans relied on the extended deterrence of American defense leadership. Yet, the arms race probably got out of control. Nevertheless, the Europeans spent little on a defense budget. The American diplomatic response to the spread of communism was efficient. The primary tool for a diplomatic response to stop the spread of communism was the Truman Doctrines, the extended and expanded versions; and NATO. In the spring of 1947, the U.S. openly stated its opposition to the soviet expansionism. However, the cold war was silent and there a few other catalyst which led to the culminating of the cold war from World War II, which caused a lost of at least 65 million lives. The American foreign policy led to rigorous promotion of capitalism and democracy. However, it can be credited with slowing the spread of communism and no nuclear wars, but many small wars. Most of all I am a proud American who enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served on the joint armed forces of the cold war during the period 1988 through 1991. The foreign policy was implemented at the onset of the cold war and was necessary to confront the expansion of communism. The argument is that it may not have been necessary to advocate the western version of democracy. However it was probably necessary to stop the spread of communism, because the Americans were leading the NATO coalition forces. Communism during the period of the cold war, right at the end of the World War II lead to the most interesting central and key issues that probably caused the cold war to begin. There were many stages that American diplomacy used the Truman Doctrine and NATO: Comrades 19171945, Iron Curtain 1945-1947, Marshall Plan 1947-1952, Berlin 1948-1949, Korean War Conflict 1949-1953. The following used the American foreign policy after the Truman administration: Reds 1947-1953, Stalin 1953-1956, Sputnik 1949-1961, The Wall 1958- 1963,

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Cuba Missile Crisis 1959-1962, Vietnam War Conflict 1954-1968, The Sixties -- Red Spring, Chinese Communism 1949- 1972, Detente 1969-1975 -- Spies 1944-1994, Star wars 1980-1988, The Berlin Wall comes down 1989, and the End of the Cold War 1989-1991. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Roskin, Michael, and Berry Nicholas. IR: The New World of International Relations, Sixth edition. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005).

Z. K. Brzezinski, Ideology and Power in Soviet Politics (rev. ed. 1967). Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1976. Brzezinski, Zbigniew K. Game plan: A geostrategic framework for the conduct of the U.S.Soviet contest. Forlag: The Atlantic Monthly Press and Sprog: Engelsk. 1986. 288 sider. ISBN: 087113084X. 2 biblioteker Beer, M. THE GENERAL HISTORY OF SOCIALISM AND SOCIAL STRUGGLES Volumes 1 & 2 (Hardcover). 1st ed. UK (England): Russel and Russel, Inc Publishing. 1957. D. F. Fleming. The Cold War and Its Origins, 1917-1960, 2 vol., Garden City: Doubleday, 1961. Gaddis, John Lewis. The United States and the Origins of the Cold War, New York: Columbia University Press, 1972, p. 80. ______. The Long Peace: Inquiries into the History of the Cold War (1987), New Ed edition. New York: Columbia University Press, (February 2, 1989). ISBN: 0195043367 _______. The United States and the End of the Cold War: Implications, Reconsiderations, Provocations. Reprint edition. Oxford University Press: USA; (April 28, 1994), ISBN: 0195085515. _______. We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History (A Council on Foreign Relations Book). Reprint edition. Oxford University Press: USA; (July 9, 1998). ISBN: 0198780710. Haydock, Michael D. City under Siege: The Berlin Blockage and Airlift, 1948-1949. Brasseys: Washington, D.C., 2000. La Feber, Walter. America, Russia, and the Cold War: 1945-2002. 9th edition. McGraw-Hill Humanities: Columbus, Ohio USA. 2002. McDougall, Walter. The Heavens and the Earth: A Political History of the Space Race. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Comment [S1]: Pages 174-187

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Miller, Roger G. To Save a City: The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949. Seattle, WA: University Press of the Pacific, 2002. McMahon, Robert. THE COLD WAR: A Very Short Introduction. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS: Oxford, England. 2003. Furet, Franois and Deborah Furet. The Passing of an illusion: the ideal of communism in the 20th Century. University Chicago Press: Chicago, Illinois 60637 (June 1, 1999). ISBN: 0226273407. Goldston, Robert C. Communism: a Narrative History. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications (1972) ASIN: B000JI5JMW. Hou, Fu-wu (F. W. Houn). A Short History of Chinese Communism. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ USA. (1967). Dunajevskaya, Raya. Marxism and Freedom. New York. Columbia University. (3d ed. 1971); ISBN: 0231069359. Schapiro, L. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (2d ed. 1971). The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 200104. http://www.bartleby.com/65/co/CommunisUSSR.html. November 22, 2006. Daniels, Robert Vincent, ed., A Documentary History of Communism (2 vol., rev. ed.) Oxford University Press: Oxford, England. (1988). Dirlik, Arif. The Origins of Chinese Communism. Oxford University Press: New York. (1989). ISBN: 0195054547. Hobsbawm, Eric J., The Age of Extremes: A history of the world, 1914-1991. 1st ed. New York. Pantheon Books. (1994); ISBN: 0394585755. John Lewis Gaddis. The Cold war: a new history. New York: Penguin Press. 2005. ISBN: 1594200629.

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