USA misjudgements and misperceptions Flashcards
Why was the USA not well placed to empathise with the Soviets’ deep sense of insecurity in 1945?
Had no neighbouring enemy and had not been invaded since the 19th century
How were the USSR’s economic weaknesses exposed?
The USA designed the Marshall Plan (a fund to help countries that had suffered during WW2). The USSR was unable to offer similar help, and so felt threatened
Give an example of when the USA interpreted Stalin’s defensive actions as aggressive and expansionist
Stalin’s claims on the Dardanelles reflected Soviet trade interest, but the USA saw this as ideologically driven expansion, because they believed the USSR was trying to bolshevise Europe
What did US policy assume about USSR foreign policy?
Communist ideology, and not national security, was the driving force behind it
Give an example of when USA ignored evidence, which showed Soviet goals were limited and defensive and that global communism was not necessarily Soviet backed
The communists came to power in China (1949) with limited Soviet support and Stalin regarded Mao’s regime as a rival than an ally
What did the Truman Doctrine exaggerate and why?
The global communist threat in order to persuade Congress to support a policy of substantial aid to Greece and Turkey
What was Truman’s position of substantial aid to Greece based on?
The false assumption that the USSR was actively supporting the Greek communists in the civil war
What did the US government mistakenly assume?
Stalin had deliberately engineered the Korean War. o
What did Truman not know about in Asia?
The complex diplomacy between the Stalin, Kim Il-Sung and Mao, which preceded the conflict
