User:Jstonerfan

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Gaddis begins his look at the Cold War at a starting point further back in history than most. What does he identify as the two long term historic reasons for Russian - American antagonism prior to WWI?

  • 1)Influence in Northeast Asia - source of tension as each country grew more powerful.

2) Movement of Russian ideas into US through transportation aswell as Us invovlement in Russia. Learning of vast differences in each country.


World War I left a "vacuum of legitimacy" in Europe. Into this vacuum dove two ideologues. What is the author's opinion of the two ideologues?

  • self-determination- allows for each country to determine own gov't (capitalism)

class struggle - lenin/Russia believed that revolution should be worldwide (communism) Gaddis believed that both leaders left too early for their ideologues to develop.


What is Gaddis's opinion of US foreign policy regarding Europe in the period between the World Wars?

  • USA made no attempt to involve itself militarily in Euro affairs...they did this because they saw no balance of power forming in euro


What is Gaddis's opinion of Stalin in the period between the World Wars?

  • He believes that STalin hurt the USSR's chances of becoming a world power because of his paranoia. stalin also ignored the threat of nazi germany's difference in ideaology.


How did US foreign policy change after WWII?

  • No longer isolationist. "second chance" to rebuild global security around USA.

What is the author's opinion of Stalin's post WWII foreign policy?

  • Stalin wanted territory following ww2. Stalin did not have foresight in decisions regarding occupation after the war


What did the author mean when he used the term Stalin's "Czech-Finnish solution"?

  • Soviet Union would control a countries military and foreign policy. Use of puppet gov't and "free" elections would allow Stalin to expand the control of the USSR in eastern europe


"Thus it was that although the objective he (Stalin) sought appeared to correspond with what his (Stalin's) allies wanted - a secure post-war world- the methods by which he pursued that goal proved profoundly corruptive of it." Explain how Poland's history illustrates this pattern.

  • Stalin killed Polish officers to appease Germany, but after Germany revealed this to the rest of the world, Stalin stopped diplomatic relations with Polish and imposed his own gov't.


Overall, who does Gaddis seem to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War? Provide details to back up your opinion.

Gaddis blames Stalin and also Stalin's mustache.

  • trusted no one and feared for himself. This caused him to pursue policies that were not effective. He aligned with Germany and after defeating Germany still wanted the allies to recognize his treaties with Germany. Stalin took political control of many Eastern Bloc countries - a direct counter to democracies idea of self determination.