Author Topic: When did the Cold War start? (Read 2448 times)

68Hawk · « **on:** February 01, 2007, 06:02:11 PM »

This came up in another thread and I was curious to see how many different arguable answers we could get.

When did the Cold War start? At what point in time, or what event?

And I'm looking for something a little deeper than just the end of WW2.

I'm gonna say the Yalta conference, when the postwar speres of influence were decieded.

What do you think?

Hawklore · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2007, 06:33:36 PM »

The correct answer, if a Patton fan,

1945.

Then you could argue so many others,

Just go look at wikipedia..

I'd go with Feb. 1946 though, after the 'Long Telegram'.

Sandman · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2007, 10:46:22 PM »

You could also argue that it started even before WWII ended.

Debonair · « **Reply #3 on:** February 02, 2007, 01:37:38 AM »

August 25, 1945

Squire · « **Reply #4 on:** February 02, 2007, 02:20:01 AM »

Land blockade of West Berlin by the Soviets in 1948. Strictly speaking "Cold War" means something post WW2.

The West never had good relations with the Soviet Union, but the "Cold War" is a period defined by historians as post WW2 relations.

Prior to this, there were tensions, but nothing "overt" between the Allies. The Berlin crisis changed all that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_air_lift

Boroda · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:14:17 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
Land blockade of West Berlin by the Soviets in 1948. Strictly speaking "Cold War" means something post WW2.

The West never had good relations with the Soviet Union, but the "Cold War" is a period defined by historians as post WW2 relations.

Prior to this, there were tensions, but nothing "overt" between the Allies. The Berlin crisis changed all that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_air_lift

Once again, do you know the real reasons for blockade of Berlin? The fault is on the Western side. They simply didn't tell you the truth, it's called "freedom of speech" in the West.

Can you explain in you own words _why_ Soviet occupation forces blocked Berlin in 1948?

As for the beginning of the Cold war, according to Soviet point of view it began with Churchill's Fulton speech on March, 5th, 1946.

I'd say that "cold hostilities" began after so-called "democratic" elections in Western occupation zones.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:22:08 AM »

Borada. Just curious, but I presume you were not alive in that time period, so you are going from the written or taught history as is most everyone else.

My question is this; What makes your truth any better or worse than anyone else's? Your posting suggests your truth is better than others, so I am curious as to why you think that.

culero · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:31:24 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Boroda
Once again, do you know the real reasons for blockade of Berlin? The fault is on the Western side. They simply didn't tell you the truth, it's called "freedom of speech" in the West.
snip

I'd be very curious to hear your version

Masherbrum · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:33:00 AM »

How many more will the ignored 68Hawk land?

Ripsnort · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:36:56 AM »

K2, did you get my PM?

MrBill · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:40:30 AM »

On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. It came as a great shock to the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to possess nuclear weapon knowledge so soon. Previously, the United States had used two atomic bombs on Japan to cause them to surrender during World War II. The impact that the possession of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union had upon the United States was that it caused Americans to question their own safety.

President Truman responded by reevaluating the United States position in the world and called for the United States to build up its conventional and nuclear weapons to halt the spread of Soviet influence around the globe.

link

eagl · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2007, 07:55:30 AM »

I'd say it started before the end of WWII, when Patton (among others) started to suspect that losing the race to Berlin would determine the shape of the post-war world. McArthur's opinions and attitudes were merely an extension of this realization.

The Berlin Airlift and the Korean War were the first major skirmishes, but the war started back in 1944.

Mace2004 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2007, 09:01:33 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Boroda
Once again, do you know the real reasons for blockade of Berlin? The fault is on the Western side. They simply didn't tell you the truth, it's called "freedom of speech" in the West.

Can you explain in you own words _why_ Soviet occupation forces blocked Berlin in 1948?

As for the beginning of the Cold war, according to Soviet point of view it began with Churchill's Fulton speech on March, 5th, 1946.

I'd say that "cold hostilities" began after so-called "democratic" elections in Western occupation zones.

And you leaned the "truth" how?

Your "truth" is based on the "Soviet point of view?" The "Soviet point of view" resulted in the USSR attempting to starve to death 2.5 million German civilians of West Berlin because the West established the Deutsch Mark. The "Soviet point of view" also directly caused the death of how many of it's own citizens under Stalin? The "Soviet point of view" also led to the USSR being a co-conspiritor in partitioning Poland and freed up German troops to move west. You can keep the "Soviet point of view" and keep a candle burning for Stalin, the originator of the "Soviet point of view".

Edit: I forgot to mention it but "freedom of speech" is not the same as "truth". Freedom of speech is the right to express yourself regardless of whether someone else (principally the government) wants you to do it or not. Freedom of speech is only related to "truth" if it's used to express "truth". You for instance are expressing yourself through freedom of speech but it doesn't make what you say accurate or "true".

Boroda · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2007, 09:25:55 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Borada. Just curious, but I presume you were not alive in that time period, so you are going from the written or taught history as is most everyone else.

My question is this; What makes your truth any better or worse than anyone else's? Your posting suggests your truth is better than others, so I am curious as to why you think that.

I told it many times before. When I hear two explainations of one historical event, one of them Western, second one - Soviet, both reasonable and without obvious logical faults, I definetly choose Soviet one. I hope you understand why

In case of Berlin airlift the Western POV is that the only reason for blockade was that Evil Soviet Regime (tm) wanted to starve poor Berliners just because it was naturally evil and bloodthirty, in other words - just for fun. I hope you understand that it was not so, otherwise there is no reason to discuss it.

I first learned about "Berlin airlift" from Midnight Target on this board, we have never been told about it at history classes (it doesn't mean that information was censored, you just had to show some interest and look for it). What I heard surprised me. I found an answer a later, reading a book by Soviet intelligence officer, he only mentioned that decision, and then I easily found other facts.

I strongly believe that Cold war was started by the "blue" side, this opinion was developed by reading multiple Soviet and Western books and putting 2+2 together. First, after WWII USSR, unlike Western "allies" was totally devastated and exausted, so, if Stalin didn't kick "allies" out of Europe in 1945 - then the only option for the USSR was peace. Multiple hostile actions and provocations made by "allies" led to Cold war, "iron curtain" and division of Europe into "red" and "blue" sides. BTW, USSR withdrew it's troops from countries like Austria and seriously discussed re-uniting Germany until 1953.

FiLtH · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2007, 09:31:54 AM »

I'd say 1918.