Historical Contexts
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The very controversial topic I will be talking about is who started the Cold war and my opinion on it. The cold war started around 1947 and finishing around 1991 but the background information, which is below, was the main reason it started. Some say the soviet union started it and others say it was the americans but by the end of this report I hope you can make an informed decision on who you believe started the cold war. the cold war was starting after world war II happened but why the cold war happened is because of what happened during world war II and even before that tensions were high between the Americans and the Russians. Americans had a particular thought of the russians that caused some stereotypes to be made and so did the russians have of the Americans. Americans thought the russians were a backwards country and the Russians didn't trust western leaders. At the time when the Cold war happened Truman was president and Stalin was the dictator of U.S.S.R. At the end of this report you can make an informed decision on who was at fault for the Cold war.
Previously a U.S. senator from Missouri, Harry Truman, who had served as vice president for only 82 days would become president because of Franklin Roosevelt's death on April 12, 1945. On July 15, 1945 president Truman went to Potsdam a suburb of Berlin, Germany to have a meeting with the Soviet Union, and the U.K. They were allies in the fight against Germany and Japan. Hitler had already been taken down and the nazis but Japan was still fighting. The issues they would be resolving was what would happen to Germany, and Europe now that the war was ending and how to handle Japan. Truman's top priority in Potsdam was to convince Stalin to join the United States in the war against Japan, Stalin agreed to this. While in Potsdam president Truman received word that the first A-bomb had gone off without a hitch and they would use this super weapon in the fight against Japan. In 1946, the president's thoughts about Stalin and the russians would change to a resolution to "get tough with the Russians." He also came to the conclusion "The Russians were planning world conquest." because of his closest counselors, most of them he inherited from the Roosevelt administration.The first major public announcement of the Cold War was In a speech to Congress by Harry Truman on March 12, 1947. Truman told Congress of his decision to aid the Greek government. the Greek government was battling rebels that included communists. He said failure to act would cause communism to spread to neighboring countries and town. The Truman Doctrine was the idea that communism was a contagion that needed to be contained. The cold war a struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States that lasted until the early 1990s.
Joseph Stalin, the dictator of Soviet Russia and one of the most powerful men in the world was known for being a man with years of practice in world affairs and a reputation for hard-nosed negotiations. By the late 1920s Joseph stalin was the dictator of russia, so he had way more political experience than Harry Truman. Before Truman was in office the Russias and the Americans had a tense relationship due to the thoughts of the Americans and the bitter World War II. The disagreement the Russians, Brits and Americans had was the opening of a second military front against Germany. In 1942 Hitler had taken over vast amounts of Russia and killer millions of soldiers and civilians. Stalin pleaded with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt to relieve the pressure on Russia by Launching an attack against Germany, but because of Winston’s views on communism he was in no rush to help and the Americans did not help either. Instead on June 6, 1944 (D-day) for an attack at Germany from the Mediterranean region. then they stalled for time in order to prepare adequately for an assault on German defenses. After hitler surrendered both Soviet and western Allied forces occupied Germany.
Joseph Stalin, the dictator of Soviet Russia and one of the most powerful men in the world was known for being a man with years of practice in world affairs and a reputation for hard-nosed negotiations. By the late 1920s Joseph stalin was the dictator of russia, so he had way more political experience than Harry Truman. Before Truman was in office the Russias and the Americans had a tense relationship due to the thoughts of the Americans and the bitter World War II. The disagreement the Russians, Brits and Americans had was the opening of a second military front against Germany. In 1942 Hitler had taken over vast amounts of Russia and killer millions of soldiers and civilians. Stalin pleaded with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt to relieve the pressure on Russia by Launching an attack against Germany, but because of Winston’s views on communism he was in no rush to help and the Americans did not help either. Instead on June 6, 1944 (D-day) for an attack at Germany from the Mediterranean region. then they stalled for time in order to prepare adequately for an assault on German defenses. After hitler surrendered both Soviet and western Allied forces occupied Germany.