Article published known as “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” Soviets were motivated by an innate...
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George Kennan - 1947 Article published known as “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” Soviets were motivated by an innate antagonism between capitalism and socialism And the infallibility of the Kremlin Soviets were bent on world conquest and they believed in the eventual fall of capitalism Article argued for the policy of containment to meet all Soviet
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Transcript of Article published known as “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” Soviets were motivated by an innate...
George Kennan - 1947
Article published known as “The Sources of Soviet Conduct”
Soviets were motivated by an innate antagonism between capitalism and socialism
And the infallibility of the Kremlin Soviets were bent on world conquest and
they believed in the eventual fall of capitalism
Article argued for the policy of containment to meet all Soviet threats around the globe
1948 – Soviets faced with threatening developments
1. Marshal Plan2. France, Britain, and Benelux nations
signed a military pact with the US3. Talk of involving more countries4. Determination to give independence to
West Germany5. Marshal Tito struck out on an independent
course and would not listen to Stalin6. West Berlin seen as a listening post and
outpost in the heart of the Soviet realm
Berlin Blockade
Frustrated, the Soviets ordered a blockade of road traffic into Berlin and the US countered with a blockade on the movement of goods from the east into western Germany
Feeling that if Berlin is abandoned (don’t want to risk WWIII) then all of West Germany then Europe is next
Supplied a huge city with 13,000 tons of supplies daily with an air lift
Consequences of Berlin Blockade
On July 15, B-29s (known to carry atomic bomb) were sent to Britain
Showed the US was serious, give the Air Force experience, and they would become an accepted fixture
Principle of forward air bases had been established
The draft was reinstated, and army build began
Marshal Plan was reorientated as a military one of containment
Middle East and cooperation between Soviets and US
Jews were returning in large numbers to Israel because of the Holocaust – known as Zionism
Britain had a mandate over Palestine but did not want to anger Arabs because of oil.
Handed it over to the United Nations where a piece of land was given to the Jewish nation with indefensible borders
Israel declared on May 14, 1948 and both US and Soviets recognized it
Israel looks to Soviets for military arms
1st Attack on Israel
Combined forces of Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, and Iraqis attacked Israel and pushed them back in 1948.
Four week truce negotiated and allowed Israel to gain more military arms and they pushed back the combined forces and beyond UN boundaries into Western Galilee and Negev Desert.
Problem of Palestinian refugees begins
Truman Success in 1949
Creation of Israel Creation of NATO – for the first time the
US entered an entangling alliance in peacetime – it also provided air bases on European soil
May 12th – Russian lifted the blockade – West’s blockade was hurting more than the Russian blockade of Berlin
Bonn Republic formed
Then…Sept. 22, 1949
The Soviets explode an atomic bomb Now Soviets have the bomb and the Red
Army in Europe Europeans are worried about Europe
being the atomic battlefield between the US and USSR
Early Cold War Philosophy
Senator Fulbright called it “the arrogance of power”
The idea that in the end every situation was controllable and could be made to come outs as the US wished
This thought process would lead right-wingers to charge that the Truman administration was full of traitors – how else could there be an explanation for American failures
More Truman problems
In 1949, Chiang flees to Taiwan and China falls to Mao and the Communists
Soviet Union and China sign a mutual-aid treaty for 30 years
Klaus Fuchs was found guilty of giving atomic secrets to agents of the Soviet Union
Rise of McCarthyism
Senator McCarthy , Feb. 9, 1950, states he has a list of individuals in the State Department who are card carrying members of the Communist party
McCarthy argued, along with Republicans, that the Truman administration had not done enough. Truman countered that Republicans always voted against increased funding
HUAC
House Un-American Activities Committee
Purpose was to root out Communists in the federal government
Investigated individuals in Hollywood
NSC-68
January 1950 – Truman orders a reassessment of American foreign and defense policy in the light of the loss of China and Soviet mastery of the atomic bomb
April 12 – a policy paper for the National Security Council, number 68
“one of the key historical documents of the Cold War”
First comprehensive statement of a national strategy
NSC-68
Called on the United States to assume unilaterally the defense of the non-Communist world. Furthermore, not take back areas under Communist control but prevent expansion
An expansion of the Truman Doctrine Americans would assume the role of
world policemen This would be extremely expensive The crisis that would allow Truman to
implement NSC-68 was just around the corner
