The Cold War:A War of Ideology and Propaganda
...ment aimed to erect world supremacy of American imperialism2. Stalin used this misconception to justify his emphasis on heavy industry. This view also fueled the conception that the Russian regime was still threatened by capitalist encirclement. Convinced that there was an ulterior motive for American’s interest in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, Russia forced political trench holds on those countries. Russia forced non-communist leaders out of the Eastern satellite states and imposed their own leaders. The purges and trials of the non-Communist leaders, thought to be traitors with capitalist intentions, only furthered the impassioned atmosphere3. Resentment in the United States over Russian resistance soon arose. Many believed that Russia wanted World revolution and that they were planning Communist expansion over all of Europe. An incitement of public opinion against communist Russia, to increase the armament budget and hold a strong military state, played a huge role in procreating anti-Soviet feeling4. In 1947, the United States used economic bribery in ousting Communist leaders in France and Italy. General George Marshall, American secretary of state, proclaimed that if any European nation needed economic assistance in recovery America would help. The United States would assist all those who filled out a comprehensive plan, describing their specific needs, by way of loans and technical assistance. In April 1948, the Marshall plan began to form aiding all those who rejected communist ideals. While the goals and concerns of Russian entanglement in Western Europe, vying to protect itself against attacks by enemy nations, was clear their policies for governing Germany was not. In 1948, America and its NATO allies, primarily Britain, refused Russian demand of reparations on Germany. The allies, in favor of restoration, prepared Germany for entrance in the European Recovery Plan. Western Germany was transforming into its own independent power and in doing so, it slowly began to slip away from Soviet grasp. Russia had no misconceptions in the importance of the power, population and natural resources that Western Germany had over the Soviet controlled East. This only aggravated an already fueled tension of ideologies. The Soviet Union quickly responded with the blockade of Berlin banning trucks and trains from entering the western zones. This caused concern among the western powers. They could not risk military action and be the aggressors in a Third World War. How would the United States and NATO support 2.5 million people occupying the western zones without risking military action? The solution was a supported air lift which dropped over 13,000 tons of food and supplies a day into Berlin5. Russia was now forced to either lift the blockade or engage in militaristic warfare. The Soviets, not wanting to engage in warfare, did little to interfere with the lift and in 1949 lifted the blockade. The Cold War would remain cold. The Berlin blockade was over, but the Cold War waged on. The War quickly spread to the Far East with the abatement of Europe as the central theater. Russia capitalized on Communist armies under the control of Mao Zedong and quickly recognized their regime as the central government in China. In 1949, Chinese Communists victory, under Mao Zedong, was a lock and by the end of the year, the Nationalist government withdrew. However the United States refused to recognize the Communist group as the rightful rulers of China and continued to give aid and support to the exiled Nationalist party6. This fueled resentment between the Chinese Communists and the Western allies’ which eventually spilled over into Korea. By the end of the Second World War, Korea had been occupied by Russian forces (in the North) and by America forces (in the South). Unable to form a government both sides vacated leaving a Communist regime in the North and a democracy in the south. This caused social and political strife bet...