Origins of the Cold War Outline

        The U.S.S.R is to blame for the Cold War, because of the Berlin Blockade, the U.S.S.R takeover of eastern European countries, Stalin's demands at Yalta and Potsdam, the U.S.S.R's refusal to take help from the Marshal Plan, and the U.S.S.R having very different goals than the U.S.A. However, some people say that the U.S.A is to blame for the Cold War because of the Truman Doctrine.

The Berlin Blockade

• By separating the U.S.S.R's zone,  Stalin clearly demonstrated that the U.S.S.R and the U.S.A were on bad terms to the world, which created more tension between the U.S.A and the U.S.S.R
• Stalin went against the wishes of Roosevelt  ,who wished that Germany be reunited, creating tension for the United States 
• By separating the U.S.S.R's zone, Stalin demonstrated his power over East Germany and demonstrated that he could easily operate without the Allies, creating fear and tension in the U.S.A
• By closing off East Germany from West Germany, Stalin demonstrated 

The Takeover of Eastern European Countries

• Stalin outlawed the democratic party in the eastern European countries, which forced the countries to be communist which created tension in the U.S.A
• By forcing the eastern European countries to be communist Stalin broke the promise he had made at Yalta, which created tension in the U.S.A
• By taking the eastern European countries and making them be communist the U.S.S.R spread communism, which was directly against the U.S.A's dream of spreading democracy. 

Stalin's demands and actions at Yalta and Potsdam

• Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to ensure safety from further invasions, while Roosevelt didn't want the Treaty of Versailles to happen all over again; these different goals created tension between the two leaders and thus tension between the two countries
• At Potsdam Stalin refused to give up any power that he had over the eastern European countries in his control, therefore the U.S.A believed that this was evidence that Stalin was planning on taking over Europe to build a Soviet Empire, which created fear and tension for the U.S.A and caused Truman to adopt a 'tough' attitude towards Stalin which amplified the tension between the two leaders and made it even harder to come to any agreements at Potsdam
• At Poland Stalin demanded the U.S.S.R's border to move into Poland, which created more tension and fear in the U.S.A that the U.S.S.R was aiming for world domination. 

 The U.S.S.R's refusal to take help from the Marshal Plan

• Stalin refused to take money from the Marshal aid
• Stalin demanded that the eastern European countries in his control not take any of the money from the Marshal Aid. 
• 
  

U.S.S.R having very different goals than the U.S.A.

• The U.S.S.R wanted to spread communism, while the U.S.A wanted to spread democracy
• The U.S.S.R wanted to have a closed market, while the U.S.A wanted to have a free market
•  The U.S.S.R wanted to keep Germany divided and weak, the U.S.A  wanted to reunited Germany

The U.S.A is to blame because of the Truman Doctrine

• The purpose of the Truman doctrine was to prevent the spread of communism  and Stalin's dream was to spread communism and so this created tension in the Soviet Union
• The Truman Doctrine was meant to make sure that the U.S.S.R didn't take over Greece or Turkey, which created tensuion in the U.S.S.R
• The Truman Doctrine demonstrated the U.S.A's distrust in the U.S.S.R which created tension in the U.S.S.R

Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945 - part 2

1. Summarize the basic argument for and the basic argument against nuclear weapons.     
The basic argument for nuclear weapons is that deference keeps the world safer. Because of nuclear weapons countries are less willing to risk attacking another country for fear of being wiped out of existence. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that humans are imperfect and so deference is not a fool-proof system; The system of deference could be shattered through accidents, false alarms, unauthorized use, and the danger of political instability. 
      

2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?       
Strategic nuclear weapons have longer ranges, and tactical nuclear weapons have shorter ranges. Also, tactical weapons tend to be smaller. 
        

3. What is nuclear proliferation?       
Nuclear proliferation is the the spread of nuclear weapons.
       

4. What role has the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty played in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons?           
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty played a part in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons by binding nearly every country to the terms that, no country may give a nuclear weapon to a country that doesn't already have nuclear weapons, and the non-nuclear countries are not allowed to produce nuclear weapons. 


5. Explain Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal. (See her quote on page 16 of your reading.)       
Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal was due to the fact that Russia's recent economic problems had resulted in a loosened grip on Moscow's nuclear weapons program. And so, The Secretary of State was highly concerned that someone could steal raw materials from the Russian nuclear arsenal and make a bomb and, this bomb could have the potential of killing thousands of people.
    

6. How as the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?          
The threat of terrorism changed the thinking about nuclear weapons in that if a terrorist group obtains a nuclear bomb, deference will no longer be an option. And so, protecting nuclear weapons has become a higher international concern. 
       

Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945

1. Explain how Dragonfire's report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons.                 
Dragonfire's report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons by demonstrating the possible damage that a nuclear weapon could cause and. The bomb could have ( if it had existed ) killed a half a million instantly, completely flatten buildings within a 1/3 mile radius causing hundreds of thousands more people to die, and initially cause radiation within a 1 1/2 mile radius.

2. Why is proliferation such a strong concern for the United States?              
Proliferation is such a strong concern for the United States because nuclear weapons are so powerful and so destructive. The more countries that have nuclear weapons, the more likely a nuclear war would be fought. Such a war has the potential to destroy humanity.

3. What is deterrence?                   
Deterrence is if one side were to attack the other side with nuclear weapons, the other side would retaliate by using nuclear weapons on the original attacker. And so, neither side would never attack in the first place because they both know that attacking the other side with nuclear weapons would mean certain destruction.


4. Explain the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.                   
The Cuban Missile Crisis was important because the crisis show the dangers of making nuclear threats and, shows the dangers of how much tension was building between the United States and the U.S.S.R. Both countries recognized how close they had come to beginning a nuclear war, and both countries embarked on a new path to prevent nuclear war.


5. President John F. Kennedy worried that twenty-five nations would have nuclear weapons by the 1970s. Why do you think his worry did not come to pass?                           
President John F. Kennedy's worry did not come to pass because The United States relations with the Soviet Union improved and so the threat of a nuclear war diminished. And so, countries no longer needed to depende upon deterrence to prevent and defend against nuclear war.


6. What was the Cold War? How long did it last?   
The Cold War was a war fought by the United States and the Soviet Union in which neither side never physically attacked. The Cold War lasted from 1945 to 1991.