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The Cold War: Its Origin and Effects
The Cold War that dates from 1947 to 1991 refers to the relationship that existed between the United States of America (USA) and the Soviet Union (also known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)) after the World War 2. It began after the two had a short-lived wartime alliance against the Nazi Germany, which left the USA and Soviet Union as two superpowers with distinct political and economic differences. An English author and journalist George Orwell coined the name “Cold War” in his essay, “You and the Atomic Bomb” published in the British newspaper Tribune on October 19, 1945. Bernard Baruch, an American financier and Presidential Advisor used the terms for the first time to describe the post-World War 2 geopolitical tensions between the Soviet Union and its satellites and the United States and its allies (Kreis, 2012).
In a bid to understand the origin of the Cold War there are three schools of thought namely: the traditionalists, the revisionists and the post-revisionists. The traditionalists hold the Soviet Union accountable while the revisionists place the responsibility on the United States. On the other hand, the post-revisionists consider both responsible in the Cold War. The theories place the responsibility on the party that was most active after the World War II. For instance, the traditionalist argue that the USA policy was passive and it championed for the international co-operation in bodies such as the United Nations (UN) like in bringing together two rivals the British and Soviet Union. The revisionists on the contrary, view the USA influenced the limiting of Soviet Union and leftist forces all over the world. Moreover, Americans applied a number of instruments such as atomic bombs, loans and other economic support tools to attain their goals. The post-revisionists agree that USA used its policy to promote its interests but disapprove the revisionists’ argument on the insistence on the use of measures because of anti-Soviet Union inclinations (Lunderstad, 2010).
We acknowledge that World War II is one of the causes of the Cold War. After Germany surrendered, Winston Churchill (The Prime Minister of Britain), Joseph Stalin (The Soviet Union Leader) and Harry Truman (The USA President) met at Potsdam conference to deliberate on the fate of Germany. The Soviet Union wanted to rebuild its destroyed economy using Germany’s economy. On the other hand, the United States feared it would pay for the rebuilding of Germany that the Soviet Union will use to rebuild itself. After comprehensive discussions, they attained a compromise of partitioning Germany into four zones. In this case, Britain, France and United States were to occupy the West Germany while the Soviet Union was to take East Germany (Kreis, 2012).
In the Potsdam Conference, the main issue was who would control Europe for Britain, France and Germany had their turn so was it Russia’s turn or United States’ turn? According to Lectures on Twentieth Century Europe, Lecture 14, “Origins of the Cold War” Kreis (2012) notes, “Few people ever questioned why Europe needed to be controlled in the first place but in the end, everyone wanted to avoid yet another war” (p.2) we observe then the crucial consideration was avoidance of another war. However, Poland was one of the countries that furthered this controversy for these superpowers all wanted it, as a key state to launch an attack at Russia.
The United States observed self-determination principles as were in Woodrow Wilson, “Fourteen Point Plan” that emphasized countries had the right to choose their form of governance (Kreis, 2012). The main aim for United States was to ensure there was room for democracy in these nations. The Soviet Union did not like this move because they noted United States was dictating the form of government that states should adopt. Starlin in response to this move came up with what Winston Churchill termed as the “Iron Curtain”. Kreis (2012) quotes Churchill, “ From what I have seen of our Russian friends and allies during the war I am convinced that there is nothing they admire so much as strength and nothing for which they have less respect than military weakness”(p.3) what was significant here were the differences in both political and economic systems. For instance, the United States was capitalist while the Soviet Union was communist (Lunderstad, 2010).
In 1946, the US and the Britain made effort to have the whole of Germany under the Western rule. This move prompted the Soviet Union to create satellite nations in 1946 and 1947. The USSR introduced communism to these states, which included Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Therefore, Stalin ensured the Soviet communism dominated a half of Europe, although the reason behind this move was unclear. The main question being was Stalin trying to spread the International Communist Movement starting from Eastern Europe. In addition, was he in a mission to protect their borders from the intervention by the US and its allies? In March 1948, we note a climax when a communist coup took place in Czechoslovakia, which overthrew a democratic government thus the Soviet Union became visible in Central Europe. The obvious is the two antagonistic forces wanted both their political and economic value systems embraced in the areas they liberated. However, for the Western Europe and United States they were afraid of Stalin who proved to be another Hitler in the making (Kreis, 2012).
The other very crucial matter was the atomic bomb, used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945. This bomb destroyed these areas and led to surrender of Japan. Consequently, the United States developed a disarmament plan, which ensured all fissionable materials, plants, and bombs were under an international regulatory agency. On the contrary, the Soviet Union came up with a different plan of total banning of any fissionable material. In addition, they proposed the destruction of all existing bombs. In order to further, their nuclear weapons monopoly the United States continued to agitate for regulation and inspection by an independent agency. Despite these efforts by the United States, the Soviet Union insisted on an immediate disarmament to neutralize the former’s advantage. In early 1946, the two opposing sides reached an agreement to disagree. Stalin justified the incompatibility between Soviet communism and western democracy, through his speech in February 1946, launching a new hard line policy. This facilitated the Americans to develop a policy called the containment. This was as a result, of George Kennan’s (Soviet expert) 8000 words telegram to Washington known as, “Long telegram” which described the principles of communism. Moreover, there was another publication by Kennan named, “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” in the Journal “Foreign Affairs”.
In January 1947, we note Britain informing United States it was not going to continue assisting Greece and Turkey because of the communism influence. The United States so it as an opportunity to suppress communism as they took the role of aiding Greece and Turkey. For instance, on March 12 1947 through the “Truman Doctrine” they announced aid to Greece and Turkey in an effort to combat communism. This move declared a formal cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union and it solidified the former’s commitment in containment (Lunderstad 2010). Similarly, Americans decided to reconstruct German and Japan. They went further, to introduce the Marshall Plan, which proposed the extensive scheme to aid all European nations and the Soviet Union. However, the Soviets and its allies rejected the offer by walking out during a meeting on the same in Paris, France. Through this plan, the Germany economy recovered and it triggered the general economy of Europe. To the Soviets, it was a ploy by the Americans to win the Eastern Europe to embrace capitalism.
In 1947, there was turn of events in relation to cold war because the forces in support of free world were against the Soviet aggression. This was evident with the forces defending non-communism world and championed for European economy recovery through the massive United States assistance. This assistance grew to $ 20 billion before 1951. Furthermore, In March 1948 England, France and Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) created the Western Union that evolved into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed in April 4, 1949. The main aim of NATO was to protect Europe from Soviets’ aggression as stipulated by Kreis (2012) who says, "to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their peoples founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law" (p. 6).The treaty had two main features namely, the United States making a commitment to protect and defend Europe, and it would honor its pledge to defend Europe.
The League of Nations established in 1919 under the “Treaty of Versailles” during the World War 1 preceded the United Nations. The main aim of this League was to promote international co-operation and to achieve peace and security. However, the failure of the League of Nations to prevent World War 2 led to the creation of the United Nations. It was in 1945, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, that fifty nation representatives drew the United Nations Charter. The ratification of the charter was on October 24, 1945 by China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States among other signatories. The aims of the United Nations are in the preamble of the charter, which revolve around the protection of human rights. This is because of the experiences of the First World War and the Second World War (Daykmann, 2012).
We observe that after the World War 2 the world split into the United States and Soviet Union influences. In a bid to ensure a common stance, the United Nations had a decision-making organ the Security Council that included the five permanent members namely the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France and China. They all agreed to maintain peace and security for the common good even when it came to their own interests. These five members also received veto power, which could stop the implementation of any Security Council decision. In the writing the UN during the Cold War: “A tool of superpower influence stymied by superpower conflict” Hardwick (2011) writes, “Each of the two superpowers focused on preserving order and stability in its own sphere of influence, while respecting the other’s bloc (Cassese, 2005: 323)” He continues to argue, the superpower competitions are evident in influencing the developing world and in other strategic areas, which led to proxy-war type conflicts in the regions. For instance, this competition and the veto power created a stalemate in the 1956 Suez Crisis, Vietnam Situation from 1946-75, the Sino-Vietnamese conflict in 1979 and Afghanistan from 1979 (Hardwick 2011). All these examples substantiate how the Cold War affected the working of the United Nations.
Therefore, we conclude the Cold War was a creation of different ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union and was not military based. The United States championed for democracy as envisage in capitalism while the Soviet Union supported the communism ideologies. Furthermore, whatever either of the two did, the other saw it as an attempt to spread its philosophy herein referred as the aggression. In addition, the United Nations formation is because of the antagonistic differences between the United States and the Soviet Union, which was to ensure working for the common good in safe guarding human rights. Despite this, the veto power hampers the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations.
References
Dykmann, K. (2012). On the origins of the United Nations. When and how did it begin. Roskilde University.
Hardwick,N.A. (2011, June 10). The UN during the Cold War. A tool of Superpower influence stymied by superpower conflict. e-International Relations.
Kreis, S. (2012, April 13). The History Guide: Lectures on twentieth century Europe. Lecture 14: The origins of the Cold War.
Lunderstad,G. (2010). The Cold War in Europe 1945-1949. In L. G, East West North South: Major developments in international politics since 1945 (pp. 8-34). New Delhi,India: Sage publications.
