Matric IEB history notes - COLD WAR topic 1 (everything you need to know)
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History
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12th Grade
This summary is a in-depth and complete analysis and summary of the Cold War as prescribed in the 2021 History SAGS. Part of the grade 12 IEB History syllabus - Topic 1, with china case study (achieved a portfolio mark of 89%)
“Historiography is defined as the study of the way history has been and is written – the
history of historical writing”
When studying historiography one doesn’t study the vents of history but rather the changing
nature of interpretations of those events by different individuals and ideological schools of
thought.
This can be seen in the cartoon, the
western or American depiction of events
show uncle Sam (the personification of
American patriotism and nationalism) as a
winning or dominating power that is
pushing back the communist soviets and
their power is diminished by. The size of
the bear (the personification of soviet
patriotism and nationalism) opposite of
what was shown as a small and helpless country. This is the exact opposite interpretation the
soviets had as they depicted the USA (uncle Sam) as small and helpless and the Russian bear
as large strong powerful and the dominating the war.
The historical approaches differed over the most basic aspects of the war, like who stared the
colds war?, did the soviet union causes the cold war or was it the united states? This is the
source of much historical debate amongst historians as which interpretation is correct or
most accurate. Western historians strongly believe that the soviets were responsible for the
war how. Ever the soviet interpretation places the blame on the USA as it was part of their
political narrative that they had established as part of their wide spread propaganda
programs and censorship of the media.
a) The orthodox western interpretation
The western powers in the late 1940s and 1950s blamed the soviets for the cold war
and was decidedly anti-communist. They blamed the soviets for both the outbreak
and continuation of the cold war, they saw joseph Stalin as the archenemy of the
west and extended this to painting him as a dictator. They saw Stalin’s actions as an
aggressive spread of his totalitarian rule of eastern Europe this was in turn taken as
an offensive action against the USA and their capitalist way of life, this gave them the.
motivation to take defensive actions to prevent the spread of communism. Their anti-
communist position reached hysterical proportions instates during the late 1950s. this
resulted in and expansions on the USAs military efforts as a defensive action as they
believed the soviets wished to impose their communist ideology on the rest of the
world.
b) The orthodox soviet interpretations
The soviet historians wrote their history to justify the role that the soviets were
planning in the escalations of the cold war and the soviets involvement in
international relations during this period. They tend to justify the policy’s that Stalin
, put in place and view his actions as defensive positions against the advancing
expansion of the west into Europe and saw the wests “defensive:” actions as acts of
aggression. The soviet historians wrote very patriotically and saw themselves as
spokes people for the country’s soviet, communist ideology.
c) The revisionist interpretation
Revisionist historians of the cold war indicate a shift in western thinking as they have
re-examined the USA role in the war escalations retrospectively. Concluding the USA
was primary responsible for the war escalations as a result of their military expansions
and the economic interests that the USA stanned to gain for the conflict. The actions
of pres. Harry S Truman aimed for capitalism to dominate the world economic
markets. This means that in the revisionist interpretation the soviets did not act first
but rather in response to western aggression as they believed that they were facing
possible invasion from the west and believed them to be credible threat to their way
of life. Ultimately the soviets were intimidated by. The atomic bomb and the western
impact on soviet japan and saw this as a statement of power and western aggression
towards a nations that practised a political ideology different from that of the “free
and democratic” west.
d) The post revionsist interpretation
The post revisionist tend not to blame one particular party for the war escalations
rather they argue that the cold war was a result of mistrust and suspicion on both
sides of the conflict. They argue that the cold war was a culmination of many complex
circumstances and mistrust rather than a single catalyst. The Cold War was caused by
the conflicting interests of the United States and the U.S.S.R., compounded by
miscommunication and poor diplomacy. This highlighted the differences between the
soviets and the Americans and their respective ideology’s exposing their biased
justifications.
e) The post-cold war interpretation
After the collapse of the soviet union in 1989 there has been a significant shift in our
understanding of the cold war and the catalyst factors that lead to the war escalation.
The cold war interpretation begins to shift as it becomes a part of history and
examined more retrospectively then if was at the time. As the soviet archives become
available for research and educational purposes Stalin’s policies are examined in a
more critical light then before.
“Despite the divergence of opinion concerning the origin and nature of the Cold War,
there is an increasing consensus that shapes Cold War historiography. While scholars
may have been blinded by loyalty and guilt in examining the evidence regarding the
origins of the Cold War in the past, increasingly, scholars with greater access to
archival evidence on all sides have come to the conclusion that the conflicting and
unyielding ideological ambitions were the source of the complicated and historic tale
that was the Cold War.”
, Chapter 2 – Origins of the Cold war
“ A Cold War can be defined as a state of tension between countries, in which each side tries
to strengthen itself and weaken the other side, without becoming involved in a "hot war".
Marked, in this case, by a constant series of maneuvers and counter-measures between the
Democratic West and Communist East, based on a conflict of ideologies.”
Due to the nature of a cold war the waring parties did not exchange and physical conflicts but
rather employed other tools of war to engage in conflict. The following unconventional
weapons were used instead.
1. Economics - money hand-outs and The origins of the Cold War can be divided
support into 3 categories
2. Propaganda - radio, press, television
3. Diplomacy - a war of words 1. Ideological Causes
4. "Buying Friends" - Dollar vs. Rouble 2. Historical Causes
Diplomacy 3. Immediate Causes
5. Military and political pressure
6. Espionage - KGB, CIA
The tension between the USA and the Ussr was only grown by. Their contradictory school’s pf
thought as the USA was a capitalist society and the Ussr were communists.
The competition between capitalistic states and communist states = different ways of life
(fundamental ideological differences) They had joined forces against Fascism (the Nazis) ….
Now the common enemy had been defeated the reason for co-operation was gone. Both
side of the cold war thought that they were fighting a defensive position = misunderstandings
Marriage of convince - two countries joining because both party’s benefit but there is no love
or like of each other. No long-term partnership as hitler was dangerous to both parties
involved They USA and Ussr = common enemy that was Germany and they joined forces to
defeat them. The Russian only give what they need this Competitor with the USAs capitalist
beliefs and The USA worked for what they could afforded
The Communist revolution - The Communist revolution of 1917 and fear of Russian desire for
an international workers revolution caused major concern. Communism was viewed as a
threat to Western values and their way of life.
World War One - War One caused further conflict. The West felt that Russia abandon the
Allies by making peace with Germany and did not invite the Russians to attend the Treaty of
Versailles. During the negotiations, in Russia's absence, Allies gave away Russian land to other
countries E.g. Poland.
The Russian Civil War - During the Civil War Western Allies sent aid to the "White" army to
oppose the Bolsheviks.
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