The USA and the USSR were successful in their efforts to maintain their spheres of

influence between 1950 and 1962. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Between the years 1950 and 1962 both USA and the USSR had put great effort into defending
their political and economic spheres of influence. It had to be said, that both superpowers were
largely successful, especially in the key areas. They managed to control their spheres, but at the
same time avoid direct confrontation and conflict with the other side. Despite that, both USA and
USSR werent able to have total control over their bloc of influence. The USA for example failed to
prevent Cuba from becoming a Soviet ally, while USSR found the relations with their communist
neighbors increasingly hostile.
America was very thorough with maintaining its sphere of influence. In the Western hemisphere,
the USA pursued its traditional Monroe doctrine, which stated that any European nations trying to
colonize land in South or North of America, would be seen as an act of aggression to the US. By
the Monroe doctrine, the States wanted to protect mainly the Latin America from the power of
communism. In Western Europe, they held a similar approach. They continued with their policy of
containment of communism from the economically unstable countries rather than roll back.
USA believed that the best way to contain and stop communism spreading was to rebuild the
Western Europe in the image of the USA. They understood that the poorer the country is, the
more prone it is to communism. The US government was convinced that one Europe would be
economically integrated and politically unified again; it would soon be on a similar level as United
States. Creating economically healthy and politically would deter people from wanting a
communist government. Moreover, this overall transformation would also help the States. Strong
Europe would mean a new economic partner to trade with. Finally, the US government hoped that
it would draw the Eastern European states out of the Soviet bloc. This western integration was
also driven by the fact, that European states could now freely use the great industrial resources
of FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) for the sake of new and strong Europe, without risking
ressurection of strong Germany. The ECSC (European Coal and Steel community), formed in July
1952, was in charge of this exploition of Germanys coal and steel resources for the Western allies
purposes. Together with the military security that NATO provided, the Americans largely
successful in preserving the Western bloc and even strengthening it. The Soviet Union however
wasnt lagging behind. After the war, the Soviets started with their policy of creating security
buffer zone around the country mainly in the Eastern Europe. These buffer zones were
governments that the communists dominated since 1948. This buffer zone later became known
as Eastern bloc states. Even though in theory each state within the block remained independent,
all of them adopted similar cultural, military, economic and social policies. The Soviet propaganda
was greatly helped by the presence of Russian troops, which had previously liberated the
countries. The opposition in these Eastern European countries were progressively removedintimidated, imprisoned or even executed. Three years after the war was enough for the
communists establish communist government even in democratic countries like Hungary,
Czechoslovakia or Poland. To further encourage closer relations between the various communist
states in the block, the Soviets created two supranational organization: Cominform and
COMECON. Cominform was founded in September 1947, to promote ideological unity among the
communist parties in Europe. Its main aim was to complete the process of Sovietization,
transforming the state according to the Soviet model, in the Soviet satelites. It also served to coordinate the activities of all the communist parties and fight with the so-called Titoism. COMECON
was established two years later than Cominform. It was founded by USSR, Hungary, Poland,
Czechoslavakia, Bulgaria, Romania and later joined by the GDR. This was the Soviets response to
the Marshall plan. Its goal was to integrate the economies of Eastern Europe with the USSR. All
the satellites states had to follow a similar plan. Agriculture was no longer private, but
collectivized. The economies was now controlled centrally and most importantly a new Five year

plan was established, which led to mass-industrialization. The states inside the Soviet block
worked with each other by the network of bilateral treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual
agreement to defend the other state in the block if it was attacker. The Soviet gained obedience
by sending its leaders to the Eastern block states for talks and instruction and directly
participating in the internal affairs of the satellites. Red Army garrison, spread among the Eastern
European countries, also ensured that the governement remained in Soviet control. Beside that
there was the infamous Stalin cult, which unified all the sattelites. Throughout the communist
block, he was celebrated as builder of socialism and the saviour of eastern Europe in the WWII.
Despite the Soviets best effort to unify and strengthen their sphere, Titos break with the USSR in
1948 showed that the block was more fragile than it looked from the outside. This encouraged
USA to challenge and weakened Soviets power on the eastern front. These actions however
werent direct; both sides didnt want an open conflict. Instead USA tried to weaken Soviets
spheres over the long term, the example of this was for example Radio Free Europe, which
broadcasted anti Soviet propaganda in eastern European states.
Besides trying to challenge the Soviet bloc indirectly, USA was also successful in preserving their
own spheres of influence. After the Prague Coup and the Berlin Blockade incidents, USA was
decided to commit themselves to the defense of Western Europe. From the spring 1948, US
started to develop its plan for North Atlantic-western European military alliance with Allies in
Europe. To persuade the Congress to agree with sending troops to the Europe, president Truman
stressed the the treaty needed permission from the Congress. The treaty was finally signed on 4.
April 1949. It included Canada, the USA, the Brussels Pact Powers, Norway, Iceland, Italy and
Portugal. The creation of Nato interlocked with the plans of rearming West Germany. US
considered revitalizing the Federal Republic of Germanys economic and military strength, key to
the security of western Europe. USA also knew that if they wouldnt act quickly, West German
people would by the Soviet influence want to join GDR. USA also played active role in maintaining
their sphere in other parts of the world. American invasion to Guatemala was a good example of
this. After a revolution, which had overthrown U.S. - backed dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944, a new
president Jacobo Arbenz was democratically chosen. Jacobo Arbenz was however viewed by the
US as a communist. Moreover the American company United Fruit Company located in Guatemala
didnt generate so much profit as before the revolution, because the new president supported
Guatemalan companies. USA decided for a CIA military operation. The coup was successful; the
Americans installed Carlos Castilla as the new Guatemalan leader. With Castilla in power, the
Americans knew that no communists uprising would spurn from Guatemala. After preserving their
sphere of influence in Latin America, USA started to focus on the Middle East and Asia. When the
Korean War started, the States responded quickly. The US immediately appealed to the Security
Council of United Nations to ask for a permission to use the military force to end the conflict. By
early August, North Koreans forces conquered nearly 90 per cent of South. The US-led forces
were confined to small area in Pusan. With the supply of equipments and reserves based in Japan.
With Japans and Taiwans help, the US troops were soon able to break out of Pusan. When
General Douglas MacArthur, who had been appointed commander of the UN task force, landed
with his troops on 9. September at Inchon, a dramatic counterattack was launched. On 1.
October, the UN forces crossed the 38th parallel, and less than 3 weeks later Pyongyang, the
North Korean capital, was captured by the US-led UN forces. Even though, North Korea with the
help of Mao and his People Republic of China manage to drive back the UN troops across the 38 th
parallel, USA showed that it is able to hold back communism in the countries, which were in the
US sphere of interest like South Korea, Japan, Philippines or Taiwan. The Korean War also
convinced the US of the need of building system of global alliances in order to contain
communism. In 1954, SEATO (the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization) was formed and was one
year later followed Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), which aimed to protect the Middle East
from Soviet attacks. But there was still the Indochina question left. The communist in Vietnam led

by Ho Chi Minh aimed to free Vietnam from the Japanese occupants during the Second World War
and afterwards from France. With the increasing help of the communists Chin after 1949, Viet
minh (League for Independence of Vietnam) led by Vo Nguyen Giap managed to defeat the
French on May 1954. At the same time there was a conference on solving the Korean and
Indochinese problems. The United States were able to negotiate the division of Vietnam along the
17th parallel. By this they were able to prevent the communists to control the whole of Indo-china.
Another evidence of USAs containment success was the Lebanon crisis in 1958, where the
Americans managed to protect Lebanon from Syrian and Egyptian forces, which were viewed as
communists.
But even USSR achieved many successes on this field. As the Eastern European states became
more restive and were unwilling to be just a satellite, the Soviet Union was still able to control the
bloc with relative ease. To further strengthen this control, the Soviets developed a Warsaw Pact.
This Pact was supposed to connect the satellite states more firmly to Moscow. On 14 th of May
1955, the USSR and eastern European states entered the Warsaw Pact. The German Democratic
Republic later joined in January 1956. By the Pact, the members committed to consult on issues
of mutual interest and to give necessary assistance if other member in the pact would be
attacked. The pact was more political than a military act and was a response to the FRGs entry
into NATO. The Soviet army was also another reason why the Soviet Union managed to maintain
their sphere of influence and keep the revolutionary nature of the states in the bloc. An example
of the Red armys quick decision-making is the East German Uprising on 16 th June 1953. German
workers demanded increased pay, more political freedom and the re-establishment of the
German Social Democratic Party. By the following day, waves of spontaneous and unplanned
strikes erupted across the whole of the GDR. Just in East Berlin, 100.000 people demonstrated on
the streets. On 17th June, Soviet troops backed by tanked, entered and suppressed the uprisings.
Even after the Soviet intervention, there were some sporadic demonstrations and riots with 125
people killed, but the main wave of demonstrators was already stifled. Another evidence of the
successes that the Red Army had was the Polish crisis in 1956. At the end of June 1956, riots
broke out it Poznan when the local factory workers protested about the imposition of increased
production targets. These were suppressed with heavy casualties. To avoid the criticism, the
Polands local communist government decided to appoint reformist Gomulka as the first
secretary. The Soviets feared that Gomulka would seek to restore Polands full independence,
decided to send a delegation to Warsaw on 19-20th October and ordered the Red Army to advance
to the city and stop the election. There though, Gomulka was approved to stay, but his rule was
limited by many Soviets restrictions. However the Polish crisis eventually indirectly influenced
the Hungarian Revolution in that same year. This was a much tougher challenge than the
previous crises. As part of his de-Stalinization campaign, Khruschev pressured the Hungarian
Communist Party in July 1956 to replace the old-style Stalinist leader, Matys Rkosi with the
more liberal Erno Gero. On 23 October, there was a large demonstration in the capital of
Hungary, Budapest. Protestors demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops and a new government
under Imre Nagy, an independent minded communist inspired by Tito and his Yugoslavia. After
the demonstators attacked the radio station, to allay further violence, Gero appointed Nagy as a
new prime minister. As a response to the demonstrations, the USSR mobilized 30.000 men
backed with tanks and artillery. Khruschvev however first tried to give greater independence to
the satelite states. He issued the Declaration on the Principles of Development and a Further
strenghtening of Friendship and Co-operation between the USSR and other Socialist Countries.
Nagy however wasnt satisfied with this resolution. He threatened to the Soviet Union by
announcing his intention of withdrawing Hungary from the Warsaw Pact. This would effectively
make Hungary, totally independent of USSR. Khrushchev was also afraid of the Domino effect
that would make other states inside the block want to follow Hungary example. USSR had no
other option than sending his troops to Hungary. On 4 November Soviet troops advanced into

Hungary, and after few days of fierce fighting with the Hungarian rebels, a new government loyal
to the USSR under Jnos Kdar was installed. Over 2500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops died,
but USSR managed to exert their power and keep Hungary in the Eastern bloc. To fully
understand the Soviets action during the Hungarian uprising, we must also look at the Suez crisis
in the Middle East. When Britain, France and Israel decide to to overthrow Egyptian president
Nasser, Soviet Union knew that they had to act quickly if they didnt want to lose the influence
they had been building, by financially supporting president Nasser, in Egypt for a long time.
Combined with The Hungarian crisis, Soviet power and prestige was in great danger. Therefore
the Soviets attacked by claiming that they would fire nuclear missiles at London, Paris and Tel
Aviv, if they didnt stop their attack on Egypt. Britain, France and Israel decided to stop their
invasion, but it was more due to the fact that US disapproved the invasion, rather than the Soviet
ultimatum. For the communist world however, it was sign of their victory over the British and the
French. After this incident USSR strengthened their position in the Middle East. The Soviets were
also able to reach some success on the South American soil, which previously was dominated by
the US. When the CIA toppled the pro-communist Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1959, the
Soviets didnt even protest. Nonetheless, the US domination in the region did cause growing
resentment among South American intellectuals and nationalists. This was also one of the
reasons why Fidel Castro started a guerilla war against the government of Fulgencio Batista in
Cuba on December 1956. By January 1959, his forces were able to take control of Cuba against
the odds. Castro was certainly anti-US nationalist, but he wasnt a commuinist. However the
growing opposition from the Cuban middle classes to his economic policies and increasing US
hostility to his Non-alignment policy forced him to adopt Marxism Leninism in order to adress
Cubans economic needs. To be protected from the United States, he also decided to form an
alliance with the Soviet Union. Castro even invited the Soviet Council of Ministers, Anastas
Mikoyan to visit Havana, Cubas capital, in February 1960. By Cuba, USSR was able to expand
their territory of influence in the American zone. This was a great achievement to the Soviet
Union, which not only maintained their sphere but was also able to enlarge it.
The 1950-1962 was a period of great succes for both superpowers. Despite that, both USA and
USSR didnt avoid specific failures. The American policy was more like sustaining communism,
rather than liberating captive people. Despite preventing communist control of the whole Indochina at the Geneva conference, the long term problems still werent solved. Vietnam was divided
by the 17th parallel, with the south of the country ruled by France with the help of USA. In June
1949, USA persuaded the ex Vietnamese emperor Bao Dai to become head of the state France
ruled. Bao Dai however later showed to be a total failure. He had no program, no ideologies and
had no support of the local Vietnamese people. Even after the division of North and South
Vietnam, the southern people didnt like to be ruled by the American and felt much more
affiliated to the Northern communist regime led by Ho Chi Minh. United States also drastically
failed to deal with Castro and Nasser. Both of them werent communist, but because of USAs
hostility and unwillingness to financially help, both Castro and Nasser turned to the Soviet Union
for help.
That doesnt mean that the Soviet Union was flawless. In most of their crisis, USSR was able to
maintain their sphere of influence only by force and not by a legitimate way. By building the
Berlin Wall and closing the border between East and West Berlin on August 1961, Khrushchev
practically admitted failure, because he showed that the Soviet Union are not able to solve the
economic crisis by a non-violent, standard way. The placing of nuclear missiles on Cuba in August
1962 was another incredible risky piece of business by the Soviets. This highly dangerous
operation could easily backfire and could cause direct confrontation with the US, that the Soviet
Union so wanted to avoid during this period. The relationship with Mao and his China also
deteriorated. The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship that Stalin signed with KMT (Chinese

Nationalists) on 14th August 1950 highly surprised Mao. It completely undermined his assumption
that the USSR would prove to be a loyal ally in his struggle against the KMT. After the signing of
the Treaty, there was certain hostility between the two states. The two biggest communist
countries were no longer allies that trusted each other.
Both superpowers had great success in controlling their sphere of influence in the years 19501962, but at the same time were able to avoid direct confrontation with the other side. United
States were successful in building up NATO and in addition make West Germany vital part of the
Western Europe again. They were also able to contain communism in different parts of the world
like Guatemala, Korea. Major achievement was also preventing the Communists from taking the
whole Indo-China. USSR had similar success with keeping their Eastern bloc at bay. The key to
this was the Warsaw Pact, which linked the satellite states more firmly to Moscow. The Red Army
also played vital role in crushing the revolts that resisted the Soviet influence, especially in the
Hungarian crisis. Not only did the Soviet Union manage to control their sphere, they were also
able to expand it. The Suez and Cuban crisis allowed the USSR to influence the Middle East and
Cuba that were in American zone. Both sides wanted to preserve their sphere of influence at all
cost, but didnt want to directly intervene the other side sphere. Yet it did occur at some point.
The biggest confrontation between the two states was probably during the Cuban missile crisis.
As historian John Gaddis says in his book: [The crisis over Cuba was] the only episode after the
World War II in which each of the major areas of Soviet-American competition intersected.... The
constant growing globalisation started to produce more and more problems for United States and
USSR.