June 2010- Section B – How far do you agree with the view that the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8 owed more to Soviet expansionism than to Usa’s economic interests?

I do agree with the view that the development of the Cold War owed more to soviet expansionism than USA’s economic interests in the years 1945-48. All three of the sources show evidence that soviet expansionism played a huge role in the development of the Cold War. Source 7 especially emphasises Soviet expansionism as the most important factor claiming the USSR were “seeking to expand its influence into Western Europe” causing Western Attitudes to harden. However there is evidence in the sources to support the view that the USA’s economic interests owed more to the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-48. Such as in source 8 which claims the USA wanted a war with the USSR to help its economy, emphasising the impact of the Military Industrial Complex on aggressive foreign policy which played a huge role in the development of the Cold War. Furthermore it can be argued that it was the misunderstanding and confusion between the two nations which owed more to the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8.
Soviet Expansionism played a huge role in the development of the Cold War in the years 1945-8. Evidence to support this view is found in source 7 which claims that although in 1945 the West accepted the Soviet’s influence in Eastern Europe, the West became suspicious of the USSR’s intentions, fearing the soviets wished to “expand into Western Europe itself”. An example of Soviet expansionism within this time period is the Czechoslovakian coup d’état of 1948 where the communists, who feared defeat in the upcoming elections after rejecting Marshall Aid, staged a coup d’état. The communists took over the government, removing non-communist politicians, even defenestrating