Week 2: Early Days of the
Cold War
Escalation and Tension
February 1946: George Kennan
Writes Long Telegram
● US Ambassador to
the USSR.
● Experienced and
well-regarded
diplomat and
statesman.
Long Telegram
● Soviets seek global
domination of
communism
● Based on traditional
Russian insecurity.
● Advocates containment.
August 1946: Nikolai Novikov writes
memo to Soviet Foreign Minister
● Novikov is Soviet
ambassador to the US.
● Written as Soviet
version of Long
Telegram.
Novikov Memo
● American policy focused
on world supremacy.
● Expansionist and antipacifist.
● Points out American
bases and capital
around the world.
Truman declares policy of
containment
US Support for monarchists in Greek
Civil War
● War in Greece
between
communists and
nationalists.
● Communists receive
no Soviet aid.
● Nationalist victory in
1949.
Creation of DoD and CIA
● Defense Department
provides unified
military command
structure.
● CIA first agency for
gathering foreign
intelligence and
operations.
Insurgency in the USSR
Ukraine: Ukraine
Insurgent Army
The Baltics: Forest
Brothers
Insurgency strongest in newly
captured territories.
Why did US support
insurgents?
What was the Soviet reaction?
US and UK support insurgents in USSR
● Arms funnelled to sow unrest in the USSR.
○ Sometimes through ex-fascists.
● Soviets discovered foreign support.
○ Police state.
● Insurgencies eliminated by 1950s.
Unification of West Germany
Berlin in 1948
Stalin responds with Berlin Blockade
● Land routes to
and from Berlin
sealed.
● USSR demands
full administration
of Berlin
Allies begin airlift into Berlin
Blockade lifted in 1949; Berlin divided
1949: Soviets test first nuclear weapon
Road to MAD - Huge consequences
from direct conflict
North Atlantic Treaty Association
formed in 1949
Warsaw Pact signed in 1955
Europe no longer in contention after
1949.
US-Soviet contestation shifts to the outside of
NATO (First World) and Warsaw Pact (Second
World) countries to the Third (rest of the)
World.
Discussion Questions
-- Were Soviet motivations aggressive?
-- Were American motivations aggressive?
-- What do you think drove superpower
behavior: aggression or security?
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How to write a policy brief