The Origins of the Cold War

What was the Cold War? The Cold War is a period of military, political, and economic tension between Russia and America, from * Why was it important? Although the Cold War did not start until the late 1940s, its roots are traced back to a time long before this. To understand the issue, we must first understand exactly what Russia believed in, and also what America believed in. What did they believe in?

American and Russian Beliefs – The Big 4 America adopted the ideas of Adam Smith, who, in The Wealth of Nations, explained the theory of capitalism (1). This was America’s economic system. America adopted the ideas of the Founding Fathers and Ancient Greece, who believed in giving people the right to run the Government. This is known as Democracy(2). This was their political system. Russia (the USSR) adopted the ideas of Karl Marx, who, in The Communist Manifesto, explained the theory of socialism(3). This was Russia’s economic system. Russia adopted the ideas of Marx in creating its political structure too. This was called communism(4). While communism was supposed to be democratic, and Russia always claimed to be so, in fact, Communist countries are dictatorships – either by one person (Cuba, North Korea) or a “committee” of a few people (Russia, China).

The American Revolution What do we know about the American Revolution? What would you like to know about it? How does it relate to Capitalism and democracy? american-revolution-video.htm american-revolution-video.htm

Democracy Some traces of democracy can be found in Ancient Greece, Feudal England, and other places, but like Capitalism, it really gets its start in In that year, America became a nation, after having rid itself of rule by monarchy from England. America was one of the first nation as to be formed during a period known as The Enlightenment, a time of rapid change in philosophy and worldview. Enlightenment ideals favored equality, reason, logic, and democracy, so America adopted this new system of political thought. France would copy it a few years later. Thus, American History is founded upon the struggle of individual rights over the rule of a dictatorship. This is an important part of their culture. video.htm video.htm

Types of Democracy Parliamentary democracy: The legislative branch (which makes laws) and the executive branch (which enforces them) are basically the same thing. The Head of Government (the PM) is different from the Head of State (the Queen) Presidential (or Congressional) Democracy: The Executive branch (President) is different from the legislative branch (Congress/Senate). The President is both Head of Government and Head of State. There are many other variations.

Capitalism (Market Economy) Capitalism starts in 1776 with Adam Smith, who suggested in his work, The Wealth of Nations, a new system of economics. Important points in the book include, and you MUST know… Market Based Economics Meritocracy and competition The Means of Production The Pin Factory The Hidden Hand Laissez Faire Economics Smith’s ideas are adopted by England, America and others, and lead to a rapid increase in wealth, and the industrial revolution. READ THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HANDOUT HERE. revolution-video.htm revolution-video.htm

Socialism (Command Economy) As you have seen, the Industrial Revolution (and capitalism) have some problems – most importantly, that the means of production (the factories) are in the hands of only a few people (the rich) and so most people (the poor) get almost nothing. Surrounded by poverty, Karl Marx, a middle class German, decided to do something about it. He wrote The Communist Manifesto which outlines his plans for a new system of economics. He explained, and you must know… The alienation of labor / wage labor The true means of production Command economics Dictatorship of the proletariat Bourgeoisies and the class struggle The opiate of the masses Workers of the World, unite… From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. State control of property, banks, schools and media. Egalitarianism New Soviet Man

A note on Vocabulary Following all of Marx’s ideas exactly (or claiming to) is called Marxism. Applying them to a different field can be done, for example Marxist-Feminism, or Marxist History. It can also be combined with the ideas of other people, such as Marxism-Leninism. Following Marx’s economic ideas only is called socialism. This is the practice of Government control over resources and intervention in society and the economy. This can be very extreme, like in North Korea where the Gov’t controls all resources, or more mild, like in Canada where the Government controls education and health care, so there are different degrees of Socialism. Socialism is adaptable, and can be used with market or command economies. Following Marx’s political and/or social ideas is called communism. There are many variations on communism, such as Maoism and Bolshevism.

Communism Communism is an excellent theory that always fails when it becomes a reality. Communism is the socio-political idea that everyone should be equal, be treated equally, and share resources. It promotes a classless society, where all responsibilities are managed by the Government. Communism is supposed to be democratic – along with sharing resources, everyone shares power. In a communist state, however, the Government has all the power, and the people are dependent upon it for everything. Thus, whoever is in control of the Government has complete control over the state. How is this different from democracy? Because of this, the Central Committee, which is supposed to work for the people, finds itself in control of an entire country, and is inevitably corrupted. In some cases, the chairman of that committee may be strong enough to single handily control all the resources of an entire country (Stalin). In theory, Communist countries are democratic, and all of them claim to be, and make a big deal about calling themselves “republics” and holding elections. In reality, no communist state has ever existed which can be considered truly democratic, and most are dictatorships. Read the article to see why the economic and political natures of communism mean that it is fated to fail.

The Russian Revolutions ( and Civil War) What happened during the conflicts? - The February Revolution (1917)? - The October Revolution (1917)? - The Russian Civil War ( )? Why did it happen? What else is it called? What else would you like to know? How does it relate to Communism and Socialism? THINGS TO KNOW – Lenin Stalin Trotsky Industrialization Five Year Plan revolution-video.htm revolution-video.htm

Types of Communism Marxism – The original. Rules are laid out in The Communist Manifesto, but they are vague, which means different people interpret them very differently. Mensheviksism - The first type of Russian Communism. Favored a large central committee that anyone could join, even if they were uneducated or not part of any communist organization. Leninism – used by Lenin to create the world’s first communist country, the USSR. Favors collectivization and industrialization. Bolshevism – Lenin grew to hate Mensheviks, as he favored a small party made up of intellectuals and “professional revolutionaries.” After he gained control, he outlawed his enemies. Stalinism – used by Stalin. More a method of using communism than an ideology itself. Favors strong, violent, repressive Government and Five Year Plans. Trotskyism – created by Trotsky. Favors true democracy within communism, and advanced technology over agriculturalism/industrialization. Maoism – used by Mao. Favors agriculturalist and isolationism. Believes that the cap v. com struggle is eternal, and no peace is possible. Catrosim – Communism that focuses on Latin American union, Cuban nationalism, social justice.

Why the Two sides can’t get along It is not only that the two sides are completely opposite to each other, there are other reasons why they can’t get along. The two sides’ history means that they distrust and dislike each other. Russia hates capitalism and aristocracy due to the Tsar and the industrial revolution. America hates state control due to its history with the English Crown, and dislikes Russia because of the Russian “betrayal” during WWI. The two sides know that they likely can not co-exist. They are so different that co- operation is impossible, and violence is likely. The two sides are each other’s only enemies. This creates paranoia. After WWII, there were only communists and capitalists – there were no Fascists or empires to maintain the balance of power. The two sides both wanted to control certain areas, called spheres of influence. While America could accept communism in central Asia and Eastern Europe, and Russia could accept capitalism in North America and western Europe, certain areas were desired by both, such as South-East Asia, India, Germany and Africa.

How the conflict started Read the relevant pages and answer all 20 question on the handout. Watch Animal Farm to see the eternal struggle between East and West! On a Farm! They don’t call cows “red meat” for nothing!