9781422285954

Origins of the Cold War

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Winston Churchill created one of the most vivid images of Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe. In a speech he delivered on March 5, 1946, the former British prime minister said that “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”

Germany would be divided into American, British, and Soviet zones of occupation. A French zone of occupation would later be carved out of the American and British zones. The Yalta Conference affirmed “the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live.” In keeping with that principle, Stalin promised to allow free elections in countries the Red Army liberated from the Nazis. But Stalin soon made it clear that he had no intention of living up to his promises, at least not in Poland. He insisted on having a “friendly” government there. This, he said, was necessary to help protect the USSR against invasion from the west. Germany had launched such an invasion, largely through Poland, in 1941. Was Stalin’s position on Poland reasonable? Or was it a sign he couldn’t be trusted? American officials were divided on that question. Some friction between the United States and the Soviet Union seemed unavoidable, though. The guiding principles of the two countries were completely at odds. Two Systems The American system of liberal democracy emphasized individual rights and freedoms. These included political rights (such as the right to vote and the right to run for public office) and civil rights (such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble peaceably, and freedom of the press). Capitalism , the basis of the U.S. economy, also rested on individual freedom. Under capitalism, people are free to own or invest in a business. Business owners are free (within certain limits) to run their enterprises