Cold War essay: Why did the Cold War begin in Europe (1945-1949)?

Abstract

Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Vladimir Lenin caused the West to mistrust Russia: he abandoned WWI with the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, reneged on all debts of the Tsar, privatized industry, and established the Cominterm. Communism, the guiding principle of the USSR, was incompatible with the capitalist oriented West. Despite a brief respite during WWII, tensions between the US and USSR rose steadily throughout the first half of the century. After this marriage of convenience as Allies ended in 1945, diplomacy crumbled. Neither side was willing to understand the other. Relations were exacerbated in 1945-1949 by here-say and rhetoric, economic organizations, and the use of aggression as a form of defense. These issues and the events that are connected to them mark the beginning of the Cold War in Europe.

In America, here-say and rhetoric of politicians were trusted over hard facts. This led to an exaggerated view of the USSR's policies and intentions. The Long Telegram was a document written by US Ambassador to the Soviet Union George Kennan in February 1946. This telegram was written as a response to President Truman's question of the situation in Moscow. Kennan divulged his personal views on the situation and what he predicted Stalin was planning. According to Philips, despite lacking facts to back up his statements, Kennan implied "the USSR was aggressive and expansionist."