This document provides an in-depth summary of the key points postulated by Cox and Kennedy-Pipe in their analysis of the origins of the Cold War within "The Tragedy of American Diplomacy: Re-Thinking the Marshall Plan"
It contains all relevant information along with quotes and an evaluation of t...
Neo – Revisionism
BHASVIC Evaluation of Historical Work Pro-Forma
Evaluation number: 1
STAGE ONE: Identification
Author/Historian Michael Cox and Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
Work Title The tragedy of American Diplomacy – rethinking the Marshall plan
Publisher LSE Research Online
Date of Publication 2005
Page Numbers used N/A
STAGE TWO: Summarising the Overarching Argument
Overarching The Marshall Plan was a turning point in relations and the start of the Cold war. It was the most significant element of American policy, which spurred on soviet expansionism, and the
Argument subsequent division of Europe marking the beginning of the cold war.
(Maier argues division was a symptom of geo-political tensions that had already began)
“American policies as much as (or perhaps more) than soviet actions that finally led to the division of Europe”
Subish arguments overview: It was intentionally exclusionary and sacrificed the relationship with the soviets in favour of securing economic security and reward in western Europe – with
the further hope of straining the relationship between the USSR and its satellite sates with little regard for their security concerns.
Revisionism’s argument against Orthodox according to Cox + Kennedy-Pipe
Underestimated Soviet Weakness
Ignored the degree to which the US policy makers were guided by economic considerations, failed to discuss the active role the US had in bringing about the collapse of the Grand alliance
- Revisionists accused the traditionalists of having been trapped by their own blinkered ideology, rationalising US policy
Thoughts on Post Revisionism
Initial post revisionism was “orthodoxy plus archives” Eisenberg
STAGE THREE: Identifying and Evaluating Arguments
, Please note: As you read through the chapter, you will notice the historian discusses a range of points/events/individuals and how they led to the Cold War. Within your essay, you will discuss roughly three of
these but sometimes more. It may be that they identify many more than this within their chapter, but you won’t have time to discuss them all within your final work. Once you have identified the points made,
provided quotations and evaluated
Point made by the historian Quotations/Paraphrasing Evaluation
Sub- Soviet Foreign policy wasn’t derived from an essentialist core but rather “US aid to Europe had already been flowing across the STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES [PR + Orth]
Argument shaped just as much by American action Atlantic for the better part of two years even before Security a lot less Truman was not willing
(1) Marshall’s speech” - indicative that the plan was more than clear cut in a nation to ‘save’ countries from
an aid but rather “the most dedicated effort to reduce as large as the USSR the eastern European
- Containment policy: accelerated soviet expansionism to the point as economic bases sphere – Bischof
communist influence [in the west and east] 10
of inevitability as it was deemed as a threat to security by the lay at the edges,
Russians – this policy was unreasonable therefore satellite Post-Revisionist
“a more flexible operation of the US program might have states were deemed
- Marshall plan: was not a defensive measure but a means to align The conditions in the
cured the momentum toward Stalinisation of the east” 132 vital for security in international arena
economies in Europe to American interests. (Suggestion that this the soviet eyes. drove the American
was mor important to them) Americas failed to
“The Marshall plan not only limited soviet options but offensive, not America’s
- it was used as a tool to push out the USSR from the understand this due innate desire to expand
propelled the Soviet Union into a more antagonistic to their lack of
reconstruction of Europe, to break down the Security dilemma!
stance” 103 insecurity.
negotiations that were hindering the US priorities and to It was somewhat
create tension most significantly between soviet American action;
“The formation of the soviet bloc at the very time that a Nationalism always however, suspicion of
satellite states and the USSR (operation rollback,
western bloc was forming was no coincidence “ 133 took president over American action was
suggestion) communism always prevalent even
- due to high reps from Poland and the offering of wheat ideology however when they were allies,
“[the USA] working so conspicuously to achieve this goal
to France from the USSR, it is also likely they would have underpinned policy – in part due to ideology
[containment] made sovietisation more or less inevitable” short introduction to and experience
been able to enter it 113 (this was stopped by US) 131 the cold war Americans were acting
Socialism in based on opportunity
- This accelerated Soviet Security concerns and led to a shift to a “the political counterpart to both the Truman Doctrine and one country Orthodox
more defensive policy the Marshall plan came with the announcement of the Iran
Turkish Straits
- The USA disregarded legitimate security concerns regarding the Molotov plan…which was intended to establish the political
The Marshall plan was
implementation of the ERP were a significant reason for soviet line in eastern Europe in the wake of the Marshall Plan. 124
not a vehicle of
actions Operation Rollback
- East Germany important “the explicit purpose of the U.S proposal was to mitigate which was
- !!INCONSISTENT and exclusionary aspects to the US open door soviet influence in central and eastern Europe within a implemented in 1948
policy was to blame!! more general strategic framework of rolling back communis Expansionism was not
to its original pre-war frontiers” 131 defensive, and it was
well under way before
1947 (look at other
proformas for specifics,
1941+)
Stalin’s paranoid
personality, led to false
security threats
Sub- Power imbalance in relation to the USSR’s economic weaknesses led to an “The soviet unions weakened position, was likely to have USA post war Fail to mention U.S
Argument increased insecurity, tension and challenges the notion of responsibility impact on soviet conduct abroad” 116 economy was domestic contexts in
(2) (Ideology was intrinsic to the argument but subordinated by economic flourishing, GDP depth, and congresses
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