Blog 4- Containment
In the years immediately following the second world war, relations between the Unites states government and Russians were tense. Top US officials were worried that Russia's parasitic communist ideas would spread and cause the many U.S. international economic and political relations to be destroyed. Therefore the United States government employed a containment policy geared toward the stopping of Russia’s influence. As the NSC-68 better states, “[…] the United States could no longer retreat toward isolationism without encouraging the aggressive expansion of communism across the globe. […] had to mobilize to ensure the survival of 'civilization itself'.
Since the united States government so feared a wave-pool of communism in Europe coming from Russia's actions and beliefs; containment was indeed the proper strategy to follow post World War II. The United states realized countries surrounding Russia needed to be shielded from parasitic communist ideas, that the parasite itself needed to be contained. As George F. Kennan, The Long Telegram (1946) states about the surrounding countries, "They are seeking guidance rather than responsibilities. We should be better than Russians to give them this. And unless we do, Russians certainly will." Further proving that the containment strategy following World War II was indeed the necessary and correct strategy to contain communism and prevent further reach from its weak source. Why did the U.S. fear the spread of communism ?
America saw the spread of communism as a large threat because communists used their military so broadly. “For us the role of military power is to serve the national purpose by deterring an attack upon us while we seek by other means to create an environment in which our free society can flourish, and by fighting, if necessary, to defend the integrity and vitality of our free society and to defeat any aggressor. The Kremlin uses Soviet military power to back up and serve the Kremlin design.” NSC-68 (1950). This shows us one of the many differences between the US and the soviet union- the soviets were much more willing to go out and start fights. This was very concerning, as who knew when or how the soviets and their communist ideas would start invading and fighting other countries. This unpredictability was a huge advantage to the soviets. The US saw this threat, and the potential the soviets had of conquering Europe so they decided to mobilize. As the Soviets started developing Atomic weapons, their threat became even larger. After all, with the world domination aspect of communism and the unpredictably, who knew if the Soviets would one day drop atomic bombs in the US or Europe even if no war was happening at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S feared the spread of communism because it could destroy international economic and political relations. It threaten the nation’s democratic values, and it was going to cause war and destruction. “The issues that face us are momentous, involving the fulfillment or destruction not only of this Republic but of civilization itself” (NSC-68,1950). The Soviet system had more power when it came to the military, they were more likely to start a random “fight” whenever, even if there was nothing going on. With them developing atomic bombs, it became a larger threat for the U.S and the free society. “No other value system is so wholly irreconcilable with ours. So implacable in its purpose to destroy ours, so capable of turning to its own uses the most dangerous and divisible trends in our society, no other so skillfully and powerfully evokes the elements of irrationality in human nature everywhere, and no other has the support of a great and growing center of military power” (NSC-68,1950).
ReplyDeleteThe United States were afraid of the spread of Communism because they believed it would change the American society/ views and federal government. In response to fear of containment, George F. Kenman created a " “long telegram” was widely circulated within the Truman
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foreign policy during the Cold War" (Document 1). The NSC-68 states, "The issues that face us are momentous, involving the fulfillment or destruction not only of this Republic but of civilization itself. They are issues which will not await our deliberations. With conscience and resolution this Government and the people it represents must now take new and fateful decisions" (NSC-68) This evidence shows how the U.S. is not going to hesitate to protect their values and ideals. The NSC-68 also touched on the topic of citizens losing their rights if Communism were to enter America. "The resort to force, internally or externally, is therefore a last resort for a free society. The act is permissible only when one individual or groups of individuals within it threaten the basic rights of other individuals or when another society seeks to impose its will upon it. The free society cherishes and protects as fundamental the rights of the minority against the will of a majority, because these rights are the inalienable rights of each and every individual" (NSC-68).
The reason that the U.S. feared communism was because communist countries would often become an expansion of Russian territory. Many Eastern European countries became puppet governments of Russia until the eventual fall of the iron curtain. The Long Telegram, which was a lengthy telegram that was published by George F. Kennan, confirmed this fear of Russian expansion for many Americans. It talked about how Stalin acted like many Tzars of the past and wanted to expand Russia’s territory. It also stated that the only option to oppose his conquest was for the United States to actively interfere with foreign affairs and prevent communist nations from forming. These actions would also cause paranoia in mainland U.S.A. as many feared that those around them could be communists and were out to destroy their way of life.
ReplyDeleteThe United States was afraid of communist forming in the US because it would take away their freedom and change the way they live forever. The NSC-68 states '' Thus unwillingly our free society finds itself mortally challenged by the Soviet system"(NSC-68 1950). With the uprising in Communism in Europe with the two wars in 30 years. it put a lot of American people on edge and in fear of a takeover that challenges everything the people know. The American people were very paranoid that the takeover that is happening in Eurupe would travel overseas to the United States. The NSC-68 also states, "the Soviet Union, unlike previous aspirants to hegemony, is animated by a new fanatic faith, antithetical to our own, and seeks to impose its absolute authority over the rest of the world" (NSC-68 1950). With the Soviet Union wants total control over the rest of the world that is why the United States was afraid because the United States was developed on freedom and democracy while the Soviet Union was challenging that freedom. It put the whole United States in a constant state of fear of a takeover.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. would begin to fear the spread of parasitic communism with the start of the Second Red Scare. As people were susceptible to think that the federal government was being corrupted with communist. This would cause the beginning of McCarthyism and the creation of HUAC (House unamerican activities committee). The alleged investigation of disloyalty and rebel activities on the part of private citizens, public employees and organizations suspected of having Communist ties. With the creation of NSC ( National security council)and NSC68 . "In 1950, the National Security Council produced a 58-page, top-secret report proclaiming the threat of Soviet communism. In the new postwar world, the report argued, the United States could no longer retreat toward isolationism without encouraging the aggressive expansion of communism across the globe"( Truman). Ultimately, saying that someone has to win the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S feared communism would spread among the states because it would change the whole aspect of freedom and capitalism within the country. With the Soviet Union already taking control of other countries many Americans feared they could be next. The NSC-68 states "Our free society, confronted by a threat to its basic values, naturally will take such action, including the use of military force, as may be required to protect those values." A free society is what separated the U.S from the Soviet Union. The U.S will go a long way to protect their people along with their rights to a free society. Even so Americans new that would not stop the Soviet Union from fighting a pointless war with the development of new war technology such as the atomic bomb this made many Americans paranoid that communism would take over their way of living.
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