3785097
Description
Mind Map by Manueladepombo, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Manueladepombo
over 8 years ago
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ANALYZE THE ROLE OF
GERMANY IN THE ORIGIN AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLD
WAR.
- INTRODUCTION
- The Cold War started in 1945 and it was between the USSR (Eastern
Europe) and the USA (Western Europe). However it involved other countries
as well, and one of them, probably the most involved, was Germany.
Some years before the Cold War, Germany was responsible for
suspicions between USA and the USSR. In 1939 they signed the Nazi-soviet
pact, and this created great suspicion in the USA. Later, in 1945 they had
become allies to fight Hitler. However, during the second world war, when
Russia wanted to create a second front and the USA delayed this for three
years Russians thought they had delayed it because they wanted Germany to
win, so it was mostly around Germany that tensions between both countries
started building up.
- The Cold War started in 1945 and it was between the USSR (Eastern
Europe) and the USA (Western Europe). However it involved other countries
as well, and one of them, probably the most involved, was Germany.
Some years before the Cold War, Germany was responsible for
suspicions between USA and the USSR. In 1939 they signed the Nazi-soviet
pact, and this created great suspicion in the USA. Later, in 1945 they had
become allies to fight Hitler. However, during the second world war, when
Russia wanted to create a second front and the USA delayed this for three
years Russians thought they had delayed it because they wanted Germany to
win, so it was mostly around Germany that tensions between both countries
started building up.
- ARGUMENT 1
- In February 1945, when WW2 had almost finished the Yalta Conference was held and
there it was decided that Germany was to be divided into four zones and Berlin would be as
well. It seemed like a very good solution, however this caused many problems as time went
on. There started to be argues about the future government of Germany, USA, France and
Britain wanted elections to be held, but the communist were not in favor of this decision.
Then, they had agreed that eastern Germany (EG) would send agricultural supplies to
Western Germany (WG) and WG would send industrial supplies to EG. WG complied with
this agreement but EG did not, and this made capitalists very angry and disappointed so
they also stopped sending their products. All these arguments and suspicions created
around Germany contributed to the building up of suspicion and the growing bad relations
between both sides. By 1947 USA and USSR did not understand each other at all.
- Another problem factoring into Germany’s involvement in the Cold War is that when splitting
Germany four ways, the Soviets got the Eastern half of Germany which was not anywhere close to
the industrial zone which the other countries had access to. This made the Soviets upset and feel
that the other countries did not want them to have access to the industrial zone. Berlin was also
split up four ways, which makes it seem that the Western Allies were trying their best to keep the
Soviets under control.Especially after the Truman Doctrine in 1947 where President Truman said,
“Communism must be contained” which seemed to be directed at the Soviets.
- Another problem factoring into Germany’s involvement in the Cold War is that when splitting
Germany four ways, the Soviets got the Eastern half of Germany which was not anywhere close to
the industrial zone which the other countries had access to. This made the Soviets upset and feel
that the other countries did not want them to have access to the industrial zone. Berlin was also
split up four ways, which makes it seem that the Western Allies were trying their best to keep the
Soviets under control.Especially after the Truman Doctrine in 1947 where President Truman said,
“Communism must be contained” which seemed to be directed at the Soviets.
- In February 1945, when WW2 had almost finished the Yalta Conference was held and
there it was decided that Germany was to be divided into four zones and Berlin would be as
well. It seemed like a very good solution, however this caused many problems as time went
on. There started to be argues about the future government of Germany, USA, France and
Britain wanted elections to be held, but the communist were not in favor of this decision.
Then, they had agreed that eastern Germany (EG) would send agricultural supplies to
Western Germany (WG) and WG would send industrial supplies to EG. WG complied with
this agreement but EG did not, and this made capitalists very angry and disappointed so
they also stopped sending their products. All these arguments and suspicions created
around Germany contributed to the building up of suspicion and the growing bad relations
between both sides. By 1947 USA and USSR did not understand each other at all.
- ARGUMENT 2
- In 1948 France, Britain and USA join their German zones to form Western Germany and
started receiving vast support from the Marshall plan. The USSR saw this as a threat because they
were so afraid that a new attack against them could take place, just as it had happen before with
the Nazis. Later in the same year they introduced a common currency in western Germany and this
made the Russians so angry that they left the allied control council and started the Berlin
Blockade. This was a very important event. It was a very tense time in the Cold War, and the west
had to do something about it, so in 1949 USA launched the Berlin airlift and Russia had to stop the
blockade. More arguments and tension created because of Germany.
- In 1948 France, Britain and USA join their German zones to form Western Germany and
started receiving vast support from the Marshall plan. The USSR saw this as a threat because they
were so afraid that a new attack against them could take place, just as it had happen before with
the Nazis. Later in the same year they introduced a common currency in western Germany and this
made the Russians so angry that they left the allied control council and started the Berlin
Blockade. This was a very important event. It was a very tense time in the Cold War, and the west
had to do something about it, so in 1949 USA launched the Berlin airlift and Russia had to stop the
blockade. More arguments and tension created because of Germany.
- CONCLUTION
- As a conclusion it could be said that the role of Germany in the origin of the cold war was
important because by signing the Nazi-soviet pact with Russia, the USA felt very suspicious and
this contributed to the necessary suspicion for the Cold War to start. Moreover, it had a very
important role in the development of the cold war until 1950. Germany was the main reason of
the disagreements, the arguments, the tension and the anger of both, USA and USSR, therefore
made the Cold War more important and gave it a good reason to go on; However with the start of
the Korean War Germany’s role declined and Germany was no longer the center of attention of
the Cold War. So its role was very important only in the early years of the Cold war, then it was not
so crucial.
- As a conclusion it could be said that the role of Germany in the origin of the cold war was
important because by signing the Nazi-soviet pact with Russia, the USA felt very suspicious and
this contributed to the necessary suspicion for the Cold War to start. Moreover, it had a very
important role in the development of the cold war until 1950. Germany was the main reason of
the disagreements, the arguments, the tension and the anger of both, USA and USSR, therefore
made the Cold War more important and gave it a good reason to go on; However with the start of
the Korean War Germany’s role declined and Germany was no longer the center of attention of
the Cold War. So its role was very important only in the early years of the Cold war, then it was not
so crucial.
- ARGUMENT 3
- The NATO was created in 1949 and WG joined it in 1955. Russia now felt
even more insecure and threatened. They were afraid that a “New Germany”
would attack them. Then WG and EG were officially set up. During all
these years Germany had a very important role in the development of the
Cold War because it was the “key” to most of the tension and arguments in
the Cold War because of the arguments on the new government, the
problems with Berlin and the blockade and the growing fear the Russians had
of a revival of Nazi Germany, however around 1950 Germany’s role in the
development of the cold war started to loose importance and the attention
was centered in the Korean War (1950 – 1953), the Suez crisis and the invasion
of Hungary (1956) and the Cuban missile crisis (1959) and arguments over
Germany started to be of lesser importance.
- The NATO was created in 1949 and WG joined it in 1955. Russia now felt
even more insecure and threatened. They were afraid that a “New Germany”
would attack them. Then WG and EG were officially set up. During all
these years Germany had a very important role in the development of the
Cold War because it was the “key” to most of the tension and arguments in
the Cold War because of the arguments on the new government, the
problems with Berlin and the blockade and the growing fear the Russians had
of a revival of Nazi Germany, however around 1950 Germany’s role in the
development of the cold war started to loose importance and the attention
was centered in the Korean War (1950 – 1953), the Suez crisis and the invasion
of Hungary (1956) and the Cuban missile crisis (1959) and arguments over
Germany started to be of lesser importance.
- ARGUMENT 4
- The development of Germany’s role in the Cold War would also be attributed to the Berlin Wall,
which was built in 1961 as a physical barrier between German Democratic Republic (GDR) (Soviet’s
Berlin), and West Berlin also between West and East Germany. This was an attempt by the Soviet’s
to keep Berliners from immigrating from East to West Berlin, which was the most used route of
escape. Checkpoint Charlie “Checkpoint C” was the name given by the Western Allies and it was a
crossing point between East and West Germany during the Cold War. It became the location for a
face-off between Soviet and American tanks during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.
- The development of Germany’s role in the Cold War would also be attributed to the Berlin Wall,
which was built in 1961 as a physical barrier between German Democratic Republic (GDR) (Soviet’s
Berlin), and West Berlin also between West and East Germany. This was an attempt by the Soviet’s
to keep Berliners from immigrating from East to West Berlin, which was the most used route of
escape. Checkpoint Charlie “Checkpoint C” was the name given by the Western Allies and it was a
crossing point between East and West Germany during the Cold War. It became the location for a
face-off between Soviet and American tanks during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.
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