1. HS A 85: The United States After World War IIWeek #2: “From Hot to Cold War”Thurs. Feb. 8: “Constructing a Cold War World” • Disputes over who was to blame for the Cold War: US or Soviet Union: Orthodox (blame Soviets) vs. Revisionists (blame U.S.); I argue we need to see as an escalating, spiraling series of crises to which both sides contributed • Act I: Reconstruct world views of US and Soviet Union at end of WWII a. USA: isolationism vs. sense of moral responsibility in the world; embrace of policy of “containment” [*Kennan’s Long Telegram] b. Soviet Union: anger with US & allies; obsession with “security” c. Both nations expansionist and convinced own survival depended on constraining the other • Act II: US Response Containment won out, necessity of action articulated in *Truman Doctrine *Marshall Plan adopted to rebuild Europe as capitalist democracies • Act III: Soviet Response Hardening of repression within the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc Molotov Plan to counter Marshall Plan Alarmed US with aggression in Berlin, alliance with Chinese Communists, and detonation of A-bomb • Act IV: Culmination in 1950 with NCS 68 (blueprint for rearming for Cold War)* and Korean War* • Concluding Thoughts: a. First 5 years of Cold War a story of escalating tensions in a fragile relationship b. Impact of atomic capability on the Cold War c. Cold War’s enormous toll on both societies For primary material on the Cold War, see “The Cold War International History Project” (www.wilsoncenter.org/, look under “Programs”) and “The National Security Archive (www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/)