Skip to main content

According to the documents below, what evidence points to the idea that the USSR's fear of the atomic bomb was partially a cause of the Cold War?

There are really only two of these eight documents that imply that the Cold War started in part because the USSR was afraid of the US’s atomic bombs.  These documents are Document E and Document F. 


Document E really only implies that the Soviets fear the atomic bomb.  It makes sense that the Soviets would not want to come out and admit that they were afraid.  Instead, Novikov simply says that the US is trying...

There are really only two of these eight documents that imply that the Cold War started in part because the USSR was afraid of the US’s atomic bombs.  These documents are Document E and Document F. 


Document E really only implies that the Soviets fear the atomic bomb.  It makes sense that the Soviets would not want to come out and admit that they were afraid.  Instead, Novikov simply says that the US is trying to dominate the world and that one of the things that it is using to try to accomplish this is “ever newer types of weapons.”  This is clearly a reference to atomic bombs.  If the Soviets worried that the US was going to use its atomic bombs to help it dominate the world, then fear of the atomic bomb would be a cause of the Cold War.


Document F did not actually come from a Soviet source.  Therefore, it is not completely certain that this document reflects what the Soviets actually thought.  Instead, all it truly indicates is what Henry Wallace thought the Soviets would think.  Wallace worries that the Soviets will look at American atomic bomb tests and American bombers in bases all over the world and they will think that the Americans are trying to encircle and destroy the USSR.  If the Soviets really thought in this way (which seems likely) then the fear of atomic bombs was a cause of the Cold War.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more