Cold Democratic Ideologies

By Curtis Hendrickson

Opposition to Communism had been around long before the era of the Cold War.
Rather than examine these incidents taking place prior to the cold war I will dissect the
key events that shaped anti-communist ideas among democratic nations. The growing
suspicion between two rival nations would sacrifice the freedoms of their citizens for the
next half of the twentieth century. Confrontation never arose between the United States
and Soviets through out the Cold War. As the Soviet Union and the United States both
attempted to gain a footing after World War II, other nations would suffer because of their
struggle for power and influence. The United States would see to the funding of and
intervention in smaller conflicts around the world. The difference in ideals, more
accurately the conflict of political visions, would ultimately bring about the cold war. On
one side you had the Capitalist Democracy and on the other you had the Communist
authoritarian. Both nations believing to have a superior system of government over the
others. While either would gain influence over countries around the world, both would
counter act the others move at the expense of others freedoms. Taking key moments in
history post World War II, I will demonstrate how the fear of communism was used by
the United States to control what threaten the foundation of democracy that it built itself
upon.

After World War II key events set in motion things that would forever effect the
strength and reputation of the United States. The use of atomic bomb would bring to light
the reality that warfare had entered into a new pantheon of American History. The
knowledge that the United States was the only nation whom possessed the atomic bomb,
a sense of security was widely felt by everyday citizens. The U.S. had an atomic
monopoly on the world, it developed a sense of being the world police to keep peace
between nations. Self- righteousness and arrogance began to develop as a result of this,
and in our arrogance we created even more tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet
Union.
From July 17 August 2,1945 the Potsdam Summit Conference was held, in
attendance were Stalin, Truman and Churchill. Each country pushing to increase their
own footing militarily and economically. Ultimately the goal was to reach an agreement
on how to best deal with Germany and the reconstruction of Europe.
As World War II drew to a close, the alliance that had made the United States
and the Soviet Union partners in their defeat of the Axis powersGermany, Italy,
and Japanbegan to fall apart. Both sides realized that their visions for the future
of Europe and the world were incompatible. Joseph Stalin, the premier of the
Soviet Union, wished to retain hold of Eastern Europe and establish Communist,
pro-Soviet governments there, in an effort to both expand Soviet influence and
protect the Soviet Union from future invasions.
-OpenStax, U.S. History
A ten million man Red Army, The Soviet Union inhabited most of Eastern Europe
post World War II. During the conference the capitalist nations insisted the Soviet Union
retract its forces, allowing Democratic elections to take place. However Stalin didnt see
this as a fair agreement, one that he previously agreed to at the Yalta Conference.
The February 1945 Yalta Conference was the second wartime meeting of British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the conference, the three leaders agreed to demand

Germanys unconditional surrender and began plans for a post-war world. Stalin also
agreed to permit free elections in Eastern Europe and to enter the Asian war against
Japan, for which he was promised the return of lands lost to Japan in the Russo-Japanese
War of 1904-05.- History.com Staff, Yalta Conference
President Truman had some choice words for Stalins proposal rejecting it out of
hand and reminding of the previous agreements at the Yalta Conference. Stalin tried to
justify his claim by comparing it to the support that the United States benefited from with
its neighboring countries. Stalin argued If the United States could benefit from such
relations, why then could the Soviet Union not do so. Stalin was attempting to create a
buffer zone with the outlying countries to protect the Soviet Union from an invading
Western Democracy. Of course the United States wished to expand its own influences by
setting up Democratic elections in the eastern European countries. Removing the
possibility of a communist threat was priority number one for Truman.
The Potsdam conference proved to be the last time the U.S. and the Soviet
Union would cooperate for a years to come. As suspicions grew between the
former allies, each nation remained convinced that its own economic and political
systems were superior to the others. The two superpowers found themselves
locked in a decades-long struggle for economic, technological, and ideological
supremacy- OpenStax, U.S. History
On March 2nd 1947 President Truman announced to congress the need for
containment of communist powers. Grounding his foreign policy, President Truman
stated that the Soviet Union needed to be faced with an Iron Fist and strong language.
Containment really meant that the United States would use its financial and military
power to prevent Soviet expansion, anywhere in the world. Soon after the introduction of
the Truman Doctrine in 1947 the United States sent financial and military aid to Greece
and Turkey to resist a communist take over. Later that same year on June 5th 1947 the

Truman administration would introduce its Marshall Plan. The plan would provide
Thirteen Billion dollars in aid to rebuild the war torn Europe.
These concerns led Truman, along with Secretary of State George C. Marshall,
to propose to Congress the European Recovery Program, popularly known as the
Marshall Plan. Between its implantation in April 1948 and its termination in 1951,
this program gave $13 billion in economic aid to European nations.- OpenStax,
U.S. History. 28.2
In 1947 a Soviet coop lead to the communist take over of the government in
Hungary. That following year in 1948 the Soviets took over Czechoslovakia. Clearly each
side is making moves gain further control and influence over as many nations as they can.
The public at the time most likely saw the proverbial map of the world slowly turning
red.
Back during the conference at Potsdam, Allied forces had decided to section
Germany into four parts. Each zone was given to one of the allies, and further more
divided the capital city of Berlin into four sections. To further their own agenda the Allied
forces merged the three zones making it one. The Soviets holding on to their own zone in
Berlin placed them in the middle of the Allied zone. In an act of protest Stalin ordered a
blockade on all railways and roadways into Allied controlled Berlin. but Soviet
suspicions over Americas intentions increased.-OpenStax U.S. History text
As a result nearly Two Million West Berliners were at risk of starvation. In an
effort to diplomatically address the situation President Truman sent in humanitarian
airlift. However just incase Stalin was considering shooting down humanitarian aid
airplanes, Truman made a very public announcement that a squadron of B-29 would be
moving from the U.S. to the U.K. It was common knowledge after the events of WWII
that B-29 Bombers were the only bombers capable of carrying an atomic bomb at that

time. For nearly a year the airlift supplied relief up until Stalin finally relented, did the aid
stop. Thwarting the efforts of Stalin to spread communism with the relief aid also proved
that West Berlin needed and economically and militarily revitalized Germany, just what
Stalin didnt want. So naturally France, The United States and England withdrew their
occupation from Germany, creating the federal republic of Germany. In addition to this
event The United States created N.A.T.O. a military alliance between 10 European
nations, the United States and Canada. This only hardened the resolve between the Soviet
Union and the United States. In response, the Soviets Created The German democratic
Republic, thus further dividing the country.
For the next half of the twentieth century the Cold War would shape everyday
American life. Paranoia and Espionage became an everyday mode of thought for U.S.
citizens. Until now the United States had remained the top world power with its super
weapon, the atomic bomb.
On September 3, a U.S. spy plane flying off the coast of Siberia picked up the
first evidence of radioactivity from the explosion. Later that month, President
Harry S. Truman announced to the American people that the Soviets too had the
bomb.-History.com Staff, Soviets explode atomic bomb
No longer was America in control of the atomic monopoly that had given them
such a sense of security, America had lost its power to intimidate adversaries. The reality
that the enemy had gained the intelligence to create such a weapon was unnerving.
Suspicions arose and rumors of spies began to circulate creating a sense of mistrust
between the citizens of the United States and their own government leaders. The paranoia
of the U.S. government would soon give birth to a darker side of U.S. history.
For many years, the depth of Soviet spying was unknown. The big breakthrough
began in 1946 when the United States, working with Britain, deciphered the code
Moscow used to send its telegraph cables. Venona, as the decoding project was

named, remained an official secret until it was declassified in 1995. Because

government authorities did not want to reveal that they had cracked the Russian
code, Venona evidence could not be used in court, but it could trigger
investigations and surveillance hoping to nail suspects in the act of spying or
extract a confession from them. As Venona decryption improved in the late 1940s
and early 1950s, it blew the cover of several spies.- Marian Smith Holmes, Spies
Who Spilled Atomic Bomb Secrets
Without even knowing it Americans had given up their freedom, their right to
privacy was null and void. In the eyes of the Government, their suspicion and paranoia of
betrayal and annihilation gave them a justifiable reason for infringing upon the rights of
its own citizens. The threat of nuclear warfare was the subject for discussion at any social
gathering. Controlling the spread of communism became the sole reason to send in
American troops to delegate smaller conflicts around the world. Engaging its citizens in
unnecessary wars for decades to come.
Our own paranoia and flippant use of military force has sacrificed the lives of
Millions American men and women. Their inalienable right of freedom and pursuit of
happiness, because the government leaders feel justified in dictating how other countries
should govern themselves. Because of the difference in ideologies the world lived in fear
of a nuclear attack. Rumors of Russian spies and corrupt government began to grow to be
a more realistic possibility in the eyes of citizens. The need to contain any Communist
government from spreading resulted in our involvement in both the North Korean War
and the War in Vietnam.
In conclusion the Cold War era was brought to fruition because of the difference
in political ideologies. While Soviet Russia feared an invasion by western powers it
preemptively moved to gain more control. In direct response to the Soviet Union the

Allied forces, specifically the United States orchestrated their armies to counter act
Stalins moves for power and control. Out of fear that the rising communist government
might over take Europe, Truman began to use the concept of containment. To this day we
continue to move our military might all over the world to counter act perceived threats.
We have become a military Empire that governs the world in directly imposing our
Democratic structure on others spawned from a fear of Communism.

Work Cited
1. OpenStax, U.S. History. OpenStax CNX. Apr 7, 2016
http://cnx.org/contents/a7ba2fb8-8925-4987-b182-5f4429d48daa@3.22.
2. Yalta Conference
by History.com Staff,
History.com
Published 2009
Yalta Conference
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/yalta-conference
Access Date May 02, 2016
Publisher A+E Networks
3. George Kennan sends long telegram to State Department
by History.com Staff
History.com
Published, 2009
George Kennan sends long telegram to State Department
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-kennan-sends-long-telegram-tostate-department
Access Date May 02, 2016
Publisher A+E Networks
4. Churchill delivers Iron Curtain speech
5. Author: History.com Staff
Website Name: History.com

Published: 2010
Title: Churchill delivers Iron Curtain speech
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/churchill-delivers-iron-curtain-speech
Access Date: May 02, 2016
Publisher: A+E Networks
6. Bernard Baruch coins the term Cold War
Author: History.com Staff
Website Name: History.com
Year Published: 2009
Title: Bernard Baruch coins the term Cold War
URL: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bernard-baruch-coins-the-term-coldwar
7. Soviets explode atomic bomb
Author: History.com Staff
Website Name: History.com
Year Published: 2010
Title: Soviets explode atomic bomb
URL: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-explode-atomic-bomb
Access Date: May 02, 2016
Publisher: A+E Networks
8. : Spies who spilled atomic bomb secrets.
By Marian Smith Holmes
smithsonian.com
April 19, 2009
Access date: May 02, 2016
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spies-who-spilled-atomic-bombsecrets-127922660/#VYu3u5FP201kRKdf.99
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