1. IB HOTA 12 Topic #5: The Cold War The Cold War: Who’s to Blame?

2. Origins of the Cold War Coexistence with other political & social system was impossible Intense Arms Race Ally themselves with regimes and movements that went along with their stated political ideology and beliefs Intense Propaganda ~ West depict USSR as a totalitarian equivalent of Nazi Germany while USSR painted capitalism as warmongering system

3. Problems of international relations after the Second World War Towards the end of WWII, the harmony that existed between the USSR and the USA began to wear Soon relations became so difficult that, although no actual fighting took place between the two opposing sides, the decade after 1945 saw the first phase of The Cold War. Instead of allowing their mutual hostility to be expressed in open fighting, the rival powers attacked each other with propaganda and economic measures, with a general policy of non-cooperation, a massive conventional and nuclear arms race and by numerous proxy wars— A proxy war is a conflict between two nations where neither country directly engages the other.nuclear arms race

4. Both superpowers gathered allies around them: USSR Between 1945 and 1948, the USSR drew under its zone of influence most of the states in Western Europe, with the rise of communism in those countries. A communist government was established in North Korea (1948) and the communist bloc seemed further strengthened in 1949 when the communists in China under Mao won the long-drawn civil war. USA The USA hastened the recovery of Japan and fostered her as an ally, and worked closely with Britain and fourteen other European countries., providing them with vast economic aid in order to build-up an anti- communist bloc. Whatever one bloc suggested or did was viewed by the other as having ulterior and aggressive motives.

5. What caused the Cold War? 1. Differences in Principle 1. Differences in Principle The basic cause of the conflict lay on the differences of principle between the communist states and the capitalist states: The Communist System of organizing the state and society was based on Marxist ideas; he believed that the wealth of a country should be collectively owned and shared by everybody. The economy should be centrally planned and everyone would get what they need and everyone should work for the collective good. The Capitalist System operates on the basis of private ownership of a country’s wealth. The driving forces behind this system are private enterprise in the pursuit of making profits. Thus individuals are encouraged to work hard by the promise of individual reward.

6. What caused the Cold War? 3. US and British politicians were hostile to the Soviet government 3. US and British politicians were hostile to the Soviet government During the war, relations between the USA and USSR had been good, and Roosevelt was inclined to trust Stalin. After Roosevelt’s death in 1945, his successor, Truman was more suspicious and toughened his attitude towards the communists. Many believe that the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan was intended to show Stalin what would happen to Russia if he dared to go too far. Meanwhile, Stalin suspected that the USA and Britain were still keen to destroy communism: their delay to launch D-Day was deliberately calculated to bring the USSR to the exhaustion point.

7. So which side was to blame? Why did antagonism develop between East and West after WWII? The answers to this question can be grouped into three rather loose schools of thought: Orthodoxy, Revisionist and Post- Revisionists. Three questions are particularly important to define each school: Who was responsible for the Cold War? Who was most active in the years immediately following WWII? What are the primary motivating forces for each of the superpowers?

8. Features / Reasons of Cold War Orthodoxy: The Soviet Union is responsible: Soviet Insecurity drove them to confront the United States. There was nothing the US could have done. The Ideological perspective here is that Communism is a danger/aggressive. Russian Menace ~ Russian expansionism & Soviet communism, which west struggled to contain Revisionism: The United States is responsible: United States needs to have markets and resources to feed its economy. The Soviet Union impeded these goals and therefore had to be confronted. Economic Issues drive US policy. The Ideological perspective here is that Capitalism is the danger/aggressor. US Imperialism ~ US spreading capitalism around the world and willing to use military force to achieve objectives Post-Revisionism: There is truth in both arguments. The Soviet Union under Stalin was paranoid and difficult to deal with. The United States was driven in large part by the fear of another depression. Other issues played a serious role in the origins of the Cold War: Domestic Policy, Security, Allies, and perceptions. The Ideological perspective here is that all post-revisionist do not agree. Ideology still drives their views regarding the degree of responsibility each side has.

9. Preparing for the debates…. Period 1: Group A1-3 people Group A2-3 people Group B1-3 people Group B2-4 people Group C1-4 people Group C2-4 people Period 2: Group A1-4 people Group A2-4 people Group B1-4 people Group B2-4 people Group C1-4 people Group C2-5 people Period 4: Group A1-3 people Group A2-3 people Group B1-3 people Group B2-3 people Group C1-3 people Group C2-4 people Each group will be assigned as to what they will be debating and you will fall into one of these categories: Pro-America Pro-Soviet Union Blaming the USSRBlaming the United States

10. Preparing for the debates…. Now that you are in your groups and have been given an outline, let’s discuss what is required of you. You are required to do write up [5points] ALL students must participate in the debate. [5 points] To receive full credit to must speak at least twice during the debate. If you only speak once, or do not speak at all, your grade will reflect your participation or lack there of. The debate will be STRUCTURED Two sides speak alternately for or against a particular contention usually based on a topical issue, which in this case is Who is to blame for the Cold War. Unlike the arguments you might have with your family or friends however, each person is allocated a time they are allowed to speak for and any interjections are carefully controlled.

11. Style—Style is the manner in which you communicate your arguments. Content and strategy are worth little unless you deliver your material in a confident and persuasive way. Speed—It is vital to talk at a pace which is fast enough to sound intelligent and allow you time to say what you want, but slow enough to be easily understood. Tone—Varying tone is what makes you sound interesting. Listening to one tone for an entire presentation is boring. Volume—Speaking quite loudly is sometimes a necessity, but it is by no means necessary to shout through every debate regardless of context. There is absolutely no need speak any more loudly than the volume at which everyone in the room can comfortably hear you. Shouting does not win debates. Speaking too quietly is clearly disastrous since no one will be able to hear you. Preparing for the DebatesBasic Debating Skills Preparing for the Debates: Basic Debating Skills

12. Clarity—The ability to concisely and clearly express complex issues is what debating is all about. The main reason people begin to sound unclear is usually because they lose the “stream of thought” which is keeping them going. It is also important to keep it simple. While long words may make you sound clever, they may also make you incomprehensible. Use of notes—Notes are essential, but they must be brief and well organized to be effective. There is absolutely no point in trying to speak without notes. Of course, notes should never become obtrusive and damage your contact with the audience, nor should they ever be read from verbatim. Most people sketch out the main headings of their speech, with brief notes under each. When writing notes for rebuttal during the debate, it is usually better to use a separate sheet of paper so you can take down the details of what the other speakers have said and then transfer a rough outline onto the notes you will actually be using. Preparing for the DebatesBasic Debating Skills Preparing for the Debates: Basic Debating Skills

13. During the Debate Debate opens with one team (chosen by the flip of a coin) presenting their arguments, followed by a member of the opposing team. This pattern is repeated for the second speaker in each team. Finally, each team gets an opportunity for rebutting the arguments of the opponent. Speakers should speak slowly and clearly. The judge (that would be me, Miss Cummings) and members of the audience (the rest of the class) should be taking notes as the debate proceeds. There cannot be any interruptions. Speakers must wait their turns.