The Soviet Union During World War II

During World War II, one of the most powerful alliances was formed by three nations: the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union. The leaders became known as the Big Three. These three included Churchill of Britain, Stalin of Russia, and Roosevelt from America. It is important to note that the leaders of both the US and Britain were not eager to work together with Joseph Stalin. Not only had Russia betrayed the West in World War I, but they were also a communist nation. After all, America had been long taught that communists are an enemy. Differences aside, taking down Hitler and Germany was most important. In order to take down the Nazis, the Allies knew that they had to force Germany into a two front war. The first front had already been established in the East on the Russian border. On June 6th of 1944, American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France. Eventually, the Allies forced all the way into the heart of Germany on both the West and the East. Finally, Germany had no choice but to surrender. It was now up to the Allies how to go about replacing world peace. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the Allies weren’t necessarily ready to be great friends. It was now that the United States and the Soviet Union became rivals instead of allies.

During the mid-1940s, America was weary of the future. Franklin D. Roosevelt had just died and so had World War II. Truman was beginning his term as president and so came the Cold War with Russia. Russia, a communist country, was building nuclear weapons and we were convinced they were to come down on us at any moment. The U.S. did not trust Russia in the least bit. Russia had been working on nuclear weapons as well as spreading communism to China. The term “duck and cover” became an American staple for schools. The fear of communism in America was a t an all-time high. Many people became sensitive to anything even remotely related to being anti-American or –democracy. In May 17, 1938, The Dies Committee (later renamed the House on Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC) was founded by Texas Democrat was founded to combat underground anti-American sentiments.

With the 1960s approaching Americans had to to face the increasing real threat of Cold War and nuclear threat of the Soviet Union. It all started with the election of John F Kennedy in 1960. Kennedy won the 1960 election and became president of the U.S. in 1961. Kennedy defeated Republican candidate Richard Nixon in part because Kennedy played up a socalled “missile gap”, claiming that Republicans under Eisenhower had let the Soviet Union get a missile advantage over the United States. If anything he was believed to be a cold warrior. At the time Cuba leader Fidel Castro was tying his Country to Soviet Communism. The eastern block was sending military support to Cuba and this was considered a major threat to America. As Castro gained power, the relationship between the United States and Cuba worsened. In an effort to stop this alliance Kennedy allowed to the CIA to set up a coup against Castro. The bay of Pigs took place on April 16, 1961 and was a disaster for the Kennedy administration. Castro was fully aware of the rebel invasion put it down easily.

On June 22, 1941, the Nazis launched what they thought would be a quick and victorious war against the Soviet Union. Hitler believed that the Jews were responsible for Germany’s defeat in the first world war, and had the idea that Jews played a central role in bolshevism making this war more than strategic. He also believed that Russian territory would be better used as Lebensraum, or living space, for German citizens. Even before the invasion was launched, Hitler made clear to his officers how to handle the Soviets. In a March 30th meeting with advisors, Hitler said the war was a struggle of 2 ideologies, and that communism was a threat to German future. He said It is a “matter of struggle of annihilation... of Bolshevik commissars and communist intelligentsia.” The combination of these ideas would lead to policy aimed at destroying an entire generation of people. Through this essay, I will argue that the brutal Nazi policies in the east failed to pacify the civilian population, adding to the Partisan movement against Nazi occupation along with aiding the German resistance and ultimately did more harm than good.

The Cold War, a result of political and military tensions between second World War allies the United States and the Soviet Union lasted just under 50 years, in a propaganda filled competition of conflicting ideologies and contrasting global interests that created a hostility between the two superpowers of the world at that time.

The Cold War is the name given to the relationship between the USA and the USSR after World War II. The Cold War was to summon widespread endeavours for an impressive period of time and various genuine crises occurred - the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Hungary and the Berlin Wall being some. For some, the improvement in weapons of mass destruction was the most focused on issue. A contention of distinctive feelings and reasoning - Capitalism versus Communism - each held, with practically religious conviction, encircled the reason of a worldwide power fight with both sides vying for quality, mishandling every open entryway for augmentation wherever on the planet. Preceding the war, America had depicted the Soviet Union as the reprobate incarnate. The Soviet Union had portrayed America so their "connection" in the midst of the war was simply the result of having an imparted enemy - Nazi Germany. To be sure, one of America 's driving officers, Patton, communicated that he felt that the Allied outfitted power should unite with what was left of the Wehrmacht in 1945, utilisation the military virtuoso that existed inside it, and fight the approaching Soviet Red Army. Churchill, himself, was angry that Eisenhower, as overwhelming head of Allied request, had agreed that the Red Army should be allowed to extend past the Allied furnished power. His shock was conferred by Montgomery, Britain 's senior military figure.

With the demise of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, the government model of a totalitarian state led socialism was utterly discredited and thus popular opinion is largely against the relevance of Marxist theory in the 21st century. As a result we are left with the alternative, capitalism, as the pinnacle of human social organization and dialectically the end of human history. The fact that this system has proven to be efficient at industrial development and the allocation of resources, is not up for debate, however many of the flaws that Marx had criticised still exist today. This is the problem that keeps Marxism relevant in contemporary society. Key aspects of capitalist society have been proven to be unstable, tension between the workers and the ownership class has risen. Both are products of the inhumane economics system that is the status quo today.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, Congress held hearings specifically for the abolishment of ‘un-American’ actions in all aspects of the country; the public sector primarily. Varying levels of government, universities, and Hollywood were subject to investigation due to alleged communist influence; it was a communist themed witch hunt aptly named the ‘Red Scare’. This sense of fear and insecurity caused Americans to reevaluate daily interactions and beliefs with one another. The House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), an investigative committee of the U.S. House of Representatives was head of these operations.

“Every war is fought three times. First comes the political discussion over whether to start or enter it. Then comes the question of how to fight it. And, finally, there is consideration of what lessons should be learned from it.” -Richard N. Haass. The Cold War was the third major conflict of the 20th century, 1947-1991, and followed just these rules. All three phases can be identified, and all three triggered intense debate. The Cold War was located in the countries of the US, the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Cuba, Greece, and Korea. Throughout this period, the rivalry between the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, unfolded in multiple arenas: military coalitions; ideology, psychology, and espionage; sports; military, industrial, and technological developments, including the space race; costly defense spending; a massive conventional and nuclear Arms race; and many proxy wars. The clash of Capitalist and Communist ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union was the main cause of the Cold War. Two main lessons that can be learned from the Cold War include: to respect other countries ' ideologies (agree to disagree) and don 't bring nuclear weapons into war conflicts. These lessons can support the claim/thesis in many ways.

The United States and the Soviet Union, allies during the Second World War, became adversaries during the Cold War. The conflict between the communist and the capitalist ideologies was the main cause for starting the Cold War. The Soviet Union had a different idea on how they wanted to run their country. The Soviet Union want to run their country as a communist country, which a communist country is ruled by one dictator who is calling the shots and they put the needs of the country before the needs of personal human rights. The Western powers want to have worldwide run as a capitalist country. A capitalist country values their freedom before they value the country needs. The capitalist also fears a communist country.

In 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies, jointly triumphant in World War II, which ended with total victory for Soviet and American forces over Adolf Hitler 's Nazi empire in Europe. However, within just a few years, wartime allies became mortal enemies, locked in a global struggle: military, political, economic, and ideological, to prevail in a new "Cold War." The Cold War was a time of extreme tension between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union and the United States, and their respective ideologies. It was not declared in the same sense as most wars, rather it progressed over time. Therefore there are different opinions on the exact beginning of the War. Some say the Cold War really

Former President Jimmy Carter once stated, “When I was in the White House, I was confronted with the challenge of the Cold War. Both the Soviet Union and I had 30,000 nuclear weapons that could destroy the entire earth and I had to maintain the peace” (“Jimmy Carter”). This statement has seemingly remained truthful from the point when Soviet Russia and America worked together to stem, and eventually end, the tide of Nazi Germany’s imperialistic overthrow of Europe. Since the end of World War II to the present day, relations between Russia and America have declined due to the Cold War, improved due to Russia 's transition to democracy, and are reverting back to Cold War standards in relation to political involvement and economic standards,

The Cold War was an era of ideological and economic struggle characterized by the threat of nuclear of war and regional wars between the two world superpowers, the USA and the USSR. This Cold era started in 1947 at the end of World War II until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is commonly referenced as cold because it supposedly never heated up into an actual armed conflict despite some action in Korea, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. However, the ultimate and inevitable struggle occurred between the United States and other democracies of western Europe against the Soviet Union with their communist bloc countries due to the decreasing power of European nations, ideological differences, and the greed to become the world’s greatest

Whilst United States-Soviet relations were central to post 1945, an understanding about other relations will give a fuller, wider understanding of the Cold War context. The 1950s crisis over Korea and Taiwan, the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and the conflict between Washington and Moscow all highlighted the central theme of power. Bi-polar conflicts were at the heart of the Cold War and global struggles complicated situations.

As the Cold War continuously grew more and more intense in the 50’s, fear of a supposed Communist threat on US soil became known as the Second Red Scare (the first one happened in 1919). This phobia of Reds led to exceptionally paranoid behavior and policies from the government and society as a whole. Dreading that Commies may be working inside the government, the unconstitutional House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was organized. HUAC’s goal was to expose any Communists working for the state and to