- Grade: HSC
- Subject: Modern History
- Resource type: Notes
- Written by: N/A
- Year uploaded: 2021
- Page length: 13
- Subject: Modern History
Resource Description
Cold War Revision Notes
Ideologies:
Capitalism: production of goods and distribution is dependent on private capital with a view to making profit; capitalist economies run by individuals rather than by state
Communism: hostile to capitalism, which exploits workers; ideally all property, businesses & industry should be state-owned, ‘each gives according to their ability to those according to their need’
o Communism v. capitalism => USA emphasised freedoms of capitalism and limitations on communism.
o US assumptions – poverty, expansionism, oppressive (no choice – forced), evil
o Spy trials – threat internally – State Dept , McCarthyism
o Truman Doctrine perceived these as subjugation by armed minorities “free peoples”
o Marshall aid perceived as having ideological reasons – dollar imperialism
o Expansionism (Kennan – Russian nature was nationalistic) –proof seen in E Europe/Far East
o Guilt over appeasement o Support for newly created UN
o Buffer zone/puppet state – different perceptions
o USSR commitment to world revolution
o Liberated people after 2ww or after colonial powers left want independence/self determination & may choose communism
o Soviet actions seemed to confirm US opinion which stressed the world revolutionary goals of the USSR, state ownership of the means of production and the one party state.
o The USSR was encroaching on a long standing US sphere of influence
o America’s ‘open door’ policy was interpreted by the USSR as banditry/imperialism.
o The American way of life: liberal democracy, freedom and private ownership seemed important to JFK.
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