The Responsibility for Cold War Tensions

Blaming the Soviet Union for the Cold War

The ‘orthodox’ interpretation placed the blame for the Cold War tensions on the Soviet Union and its aggressive expansion.

US government historians

This was a view commonly held by historians who had been involved with the US government, including George Kennan and Herbert Feis.
These historians pointed to Stalin’s expansionist rhetoric as evidence for these views.

'Red Scare' historians

This was a common view among English-speaking historians during the time of the Cold War, and particularly among those who had lived through the ‘Red Scare’.
- The 'Red Scare' was the fear that communism would spread from within the West and bring down capitalism.

Blaming the US Government for the Cold War

‘Revisionists’, prominent from the mid-1960s to the 1970s, were more critical of the US government, particularly given the scandals of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.

Revisionists

Revisionists believed that the USA had done little to directly aid the USSR during and immediately after WWII.
They believed that the USA had used Marshall Aid as a way to achieve domination over Europe, forcing the Soviets to behave defensively.

Opposite of orthodox

This was a direct challenge to the views of orthodox historians, who believed that the USSR was to blame for Cold War tensions.

1Key Topics

1.1Conflict & Cooperation 1918-1939

1.1.1The Treaty of Versailles

1.1.2The Terms of Versailles 1

1.1.3The Terms of Versailles 2

1.1.4Versailles & the League of Nations

1.1.5LoN Successes & Failures

1.1.6LoN Failure - Upper Silesia

1.1.7LoN Failure - Corfu & Washington

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Treaties and Agreements

1.1.9The Great Depression

1.1.10Tension in Europe in the 1930s

1.1.11WWII & Failure of the League of Nations

1.1.12End of Topic Test - Tension in the 1930s

1.1.13Grade 9 - Conflict & Cooperation

1.2The Cold War 1945-c.1989

1.2.1Emerging US-Soviet Rivalry

1.2.2Communism in the 20th Century

1.2.3The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan

1.2.4East-West Alliances

1.2.5Berlin Crises

1.2.6The End of the Berlin Wall

1.2.7End of Topic Test - East & West

1.2.8Build-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis

1.2.9The Cuban Missile Crisis

1.2.10Cold War Conflict - Vietnam

1.2.11Cold War Conflict - Afghanistan

1.2.12End of Topic Test - The Cold War 1945-1989

1.2.13Grade 9 - The Cold War

1.3From the End of the Cold War to 9/11

1.3.1Reagan & Gorbachev

1.3.2Consequences of the Soviet War in Afghanistan

1.3.3End of Topic Test - End of the Cold War to 9/11

1.3.4Grade 9 - The End of the Cold War

2Changing Interpretations

2.1Changing Interpretations

2.1.1Appeasement

2.1.2The Responsibility for Cold War Tensions

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Appeasement

2.1.4Grade 9 - Changing Interpretations

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