A Bi-Polar World
- The American Position
- Americans come out of WWII even richer than before
- Own 20 billion in gold reserves of a World total of 33 bil.
- Largest, navy, airforce and monopoly on nuclear weapons
- Largest trading and industry in World
- Influence in Asia and Europe
- 1919 exaggerated
The Russian Position
- Largest army in the World
- Production not at pre-war levels
- Stalin looked inward again and put effort toward Communism at home
- Began to influence over satellite states in Eastern Europe
- Many POWs kept on working in Russia
- Show trials returned
Cause of the cold war
- War of ideologies
- Communism vs. democracy (capitalism) (east vs. west)
- Nationalism - both USA and USSR take actions throughout Cold War to protect their interests
- Imperialism - Many old imperialist nations are gone, USA and USSR take over this role worldwide. (Eg. Vietnam and Afghanistan)
Fears and concerns
- Fears and Concerns - West feared a Communist revolution worldwide (cominform replaced comintern)
- Russia fears counterrevolution from within helped by money from the west.
- The Domino Theory - a metaphor that the USA used to describe the fear of allowing countries to go Communist and then their neighbours would follow course (eg. Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe)
- Satellite States and the Iron Curtain - Many Eastern European states (that Russia had occupied) became puppet communist governments.
- The Department of Defence - includes all facets of military
- The National Security Council - advises President of matters concerning defence
- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - espionage and intelligence collection