Contrasting Ideologies Flashcards
What was the ideology of the USA?
Capitalism - private businesses and making profits are allowed, usually multiple political parties in elections, government usually elected by the people, free economy, great differences in wealth but most have a reasonable standard of living, based on the idea of ‘opportunity for all’. American society developed out of the industrial revolution and a new social group called the middle class was created.
What was the ideology of the USSR?
Communism - all businesses are owned by the state and all profits go to the state, one-party state - all other parties are banned, economy controlled by the government, lower average standard of living but wealth is spread more evenly, based on the ideas of fairness and equality. USSR’s society based on the ideas of Karl Marx in the nineteenth century and developed by Lenin in Russia.
Why did ideological differences cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?
The USA was capitalist and placed great emphasis on the ‘American Dream’ of the individuals becoming successful and wealthy. Whereas, the USSR was communist and its first leader, Vladimir Lenin, called for the overthrow of capitalism around the world as they believed it was evil and that wealth should be more evenly distributed.
Why did the First World War cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?
Russia had fought on the side of the allies until the revolution in 1917, when its new leaders withdrew from the war. Britain and France would find it hard to trust Russians in the future, which affected how the USA saw the Russians.
Why did Stalin’s regime cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?
Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin, was brutal and ruthless in his rule of the country. The secretive nature of his regime along with the disappearance, arrest and murder of high-profile figures led many in the West to mistrust Stalin’s government.
Why did propaganda cause mistrust between the US and the USSR?
In the West, governments and the media spread fear about the communist threat to people’s way of life. The ‘Red Scare’ of the 1920s saw panic and arrests in the USA. In the USSR, Western governments were seen as the oppressors of workers worldwide.
Why did the Russian Civil War cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Reds (communists) and the Whites (anti-communists) fought in a brutal civil war for control of the country. Western countries sent troops to support the Whites.
Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?
Despite their total opposition to each other’s political systems, Nazi Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact in 1939. In return for avoiding an invasion and securing territory in Poland, Stalin entered into an agreement with a government that had persecuted communists. The West saw this as further evidence that the USSR could not be trusted.
What was the Grand Alliance?
Despite the huge amount of mistrust, Hitler’s invasion of the USSR in 1941 brought the East and West together. The two sides united to fight their common enemy: Nazi Germany. By working together, East and West were able to defeat the Nazis in 1945.
