Schools of thought Flashcards
1
Q
Traditionalist / Orthodox
A
Believes the Soviet Union was responsible for the Cold War. Emerged in the late 40s, early 50s. It believes:
- The Soviets were inevitably expansionist due to their communist ideologies.
- Stalin violated the agreements at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences and invaded Eastern Europe.
- George Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’ was correct and made the situation more clear to Truman.
- The Marshall Plan offered aid to Russia but it declined out of secrecy.
- Stalin started accusations on the west when he said: “capitalism made war inevitable”.
2
Q
Revisionist
A
Believes America was responsible for the Cold War. Emerged in the 60s, during the Vietnam War. It believes:
- Truman’s presidency caused the Cold War.
- If the American’s had understood the Soviet need for security, Stalin would have made concessions.
- America’s motives were capitalist and feared another recession.
- The atomic bombings against Japan were to intimidate the Soviets as Japan was already defeated.
- The US tried gaining influence over Europe through economic means.
- The Marshall Plan was to make Europe a client of the US, and purposefully required the list to be joint so that the USSR would decline.
- The Americans prevented friendly co-existence with the USSR by not apologizing for flying U-2 planes by Russia in May Day and therefore ending the Paris Conference of 1960.
3
Q
Post-revisionist
A
Believes that neither the Soviet Union nor America were solely responsible for the Cold War. Emerged in the 70s. It believes:
- It was caused by misinterpretations, overestimation, and ‘action and reaction’.
- After the war, both powers became extremely powerful and were ‘bound to clash’.
- US and Soviet motives should be described, but without any blame.
4
Q
Post-post Revisionist
A
Believes Stalin was responsible for the Cold War. Emerged in 1991, when the USSR collapsed and its documents were open to the public. It believes:
- Stalin’s policies and totalitarian government drew the US into hostility.
- If Stalin had been removed from the equation, the Cold War was unlikely to have developed.
