Roots of the Cold War
Part 2: Causes VII–XII
VII. The Manhattan Project
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The name of the secret project which developed the atomic bomb.
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Secretary of War, Stimson predicted that that world would be at the
mercy of the bomb because it was too powerful.
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This would make future war potentially more deadly.
So secret that Vice President Truman did not know of it until he
became President after Roosevelt died.
It also accelerated the arms race (and lead to MAD).
VIII. Knowledge of the Bomb
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Britain had been told about the bomb, but Soviets had not.
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Presidential advisors wanted to show what the bomb could do in
WWII so people would no what to expect in future wars.
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It was felt by most that a position of demonstrated strength would
help postwar cooperation.
If Roosevelt/Truman and Churchill had told Stalin, the nuclear arms
race might have been less of a problem.
IX. Potsdam
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When Truman met with Stalin to discuss the end of the war in Europe
and the coming invasion of Japan, the existence of the bomb was not
discussed.
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Stalin committed to entering the Pacific war, but the US was planning
to end the war before that by using the bomb.
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Stalin’s mistrust of the US grew because he knew of the bomb from
spies, but the US never fully briefed him (they just mentioned that they
had a new weapon).
X. Containment
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After the US bombed Japan, Soviet-American cooperation ended
completely.
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USSR took control of eastern Europe – the “iron curtain” as Churchill
called it.
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Kennan recommended that “The main element of any United States
policy towards the Soviet Union must be that of long-term, patient but firm
and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies”
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and “vigilant application of counterforce at a series of constantly shifting
geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and maneuvers
of Soviet policy.”
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He believed that the most important thing the Soviets wanted was
security, followed by the desire to spread communism.
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He believed that the Soviets would try to spread communism
politically, not militarily.
XI. The Truman Doctrine
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Greece and Turkey were under pressure to turn communist, and it
was believed that if they fell, other countries would also fall, like a line
of dominoes – this was the domino theory.
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The Truman Doctrine stated the US would aid, economically and/or
militarily, any nation threatened by Communism.
XII. Disarray in Postwar Europe
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After the war, the economy of Europe was in ruins.
The bad economic situation helped Communist movements grow.
This concerned the US, which investigated what could be done to help
Europe.