History Source Based Essay

It is true to say that the USSR is to be blamed a long side the US. The USSR caused less tension then the US did. The US had significant reasons to be seen as the country that had more to blame for the start of the Cold War. The USSR contributed less to the start of the Cold War, then what the US added.

The US had a mindset of which it considered of having an open door for American trade in the East. This is backed by, “American chief aim in the years after the war was to make sure that there was an open door for American trade, and that this led the American government to make sure that countries remained capitalist like the USA.” (Source A). This caused tension because of the beliefs of communism and capitalism between the east and West.  

“Capitalism is by nature aggressive.” (Source B). This meant that America was hungry for top businesses and high income. Capitalism was the aim for the West (America) and the East was strongly against America’s capitalism and dominance of the market. “It was American capitalism that caused the Cold War.” (Source B). Stalin feared that people of the East would look at communism as oppressive and tyrannical, which is backed by, “Communists could easily be made to look oppressive and tyrannical.” (Source B) America was looked at as the victim of the start of the Cold War.

“Soviet foreign policy as attempts to safeguard the revolution against the aggressive capitalists powers in the west.” (Source C).  This source is biased because it is Soviet historiography. Even though this is the case, America is looked at as the reason of the Cold War, for the same reasons as this source refers too. It is backed up by, “It was American capitalism that caused the Cold War.” (Source B) and “Capitalism is by nature aggressive.” (Source B). “European countries on their knees worshipping their US paymaster.” (Source F). This cartoon shows the dominance that capitalism imposed causing the conflict between the East and the West. This cartoon shows that the US is more inferior and shows that the US is to be blamed for the formation of the Cold War. However source F is biased, because it is a soviet cartoon. Source F can be liked to source A, B and C. These sources state that capitalism in America had an enormous impact in the establishing of the Cold War.  

“Soviet Union’s loss of life has been several times greater than that of Britain and the US put together.” Stalin is saying that the Soviet Union has been attacked several times from the west and he wants to do something about that. Stalin is protecting himself and saying he has done nothing and it’s because of the West, that he must be anxious about their safety. This is backed by, “Soviet Union, anxious for its future safety.” (Source H). Stalin then states that the Soviet Union is no empire building and they not taking over countries. “We are not expansionist.” (Source H)

However there is a counter argument. “Western historians blamed the USSR.” (Source A)  “They said Stalin was trying to build up a Soviet Empire.” (Source A). These sources state that the USSR was to be blamed for the formation of the Cold War however, at lesser influence, then what the US had. Western powers feared that the Soviet Union was going to build a Soviet empire. This contradicts its self because Stalin mentioned in his speech that, “We are not expansionist.” (Source H). “Both the USA and the USSR were to blame.” (Source A).  This explains that not only was one country to blame such as just the US or just USSR, but in fact they were both to blame. “We were brought up to hate the communist.” (Source D). The US feared the spread of communism, which in fact grew hatred of communism among the people. People were scared that the world was going to end by the communists. “It would be there fault of course.” (Source D). This source is biased. USSR was blamed and if anything happened to world, it was going to be the communists’ fault.