The personalities of the contianment theory and the coldwar.

Essay by flyer3232University, Bachelor'sA+, December 2003

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To discuss the origins of the cold war we must take an unbiased stance between the United States and Russia. Russia's political principles were critically opposed to democracy and industrial capitalism and the United States had trouble accepting the simple fact that they could exist. The ideals between these two countries were so different that socialism or communism was simply impossibility for the United States.

When the big three, Churchill, Stalin, and Truman met in Potsdam to discuss the fate of Germany they each had little understanding of the others moral and fundamental background. Churchill understood Stalin much more effectively than did Truman but by being voted out early he wasn't able to apply his needed stance against Stalin.

Truman's views focused on strict moral government and allowed Stalin to much time. In my opinion, the errors of President Truman birthed the containment theory. Being passive in nature the containment theory didn't apply any pressure on the existing communists government, it just deterred further progression of the Soviet Union. As Germany was divided up the real hardening of the 40 year stand still was being set into place. The east was taken by the Russians and eventually overthrown by tsars and communism

Churchill was willing to compromise as long as we came to a settlement with Russia. He knew America's bargaining position would only become weaker do to Soviet strengthening and advances of their own atomic weapons. He supported containment, but not as a method to eradicate Soviet expansion.

America would not accept negotiations with any communist government and sought only complete destruction through allowing time to destroy a faulty system of government. Truman wasn't willing to use the Atomic bomb as a means of leverage against Russia while we still held the advantage of it.

Former vice president,