Compare And Contrast Truman And Stalin

After World War II, the alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union was tenuous at best. Whereas Roosevelt and Stalin seemed to have a workable understanding, the same could not be said of Truman and Stalin. What began as a strategic alliance in 1941 slowly became a stand-off that would last for nearly half a century. While suspicious of Stalin’s motives, Roosevelt held out hope that the Soviets would eventually join the free world. President Truman, however, did not. After Roosevelt’s death, suspicion and mistrust of the Soviets would escalate dramatically through the Truman administration. Truman’s reactions were perhaps fueled by American war victory enthusiasm and the resulting prosperity. Reveling in the fact that his great

The history of both the United States and the Soviet Union, especially their ideological views regarding society and government, were critical in turning years of difficult cooperation into decades of conflict. These values guided the behaviors of key leaders on both sides, as well as their interpretations of the actions taken by others. The differences in ideology combined with modern technologies like the atomic bomb created an atmosphere of distrust and hostility and left neither side a way to back down without losing face. Washington was determined to protect and promote market economies around the world while Stalin was equally determined to expand his borders while promoting and supporting socialist regimes. This struggle exacerbated the tensions between the two super-powers and ultimately laid the ground work for the disunity and discontent that is still felt in the Middle East

His goal was to promote democratic ideology and stop the spread of communism. As a new global, capitalist power, Truman argued that the United States must become a leader in global affairs, both to contain communism and protect American self-interest. In line with this goal, it became American policy to encourage the spread of democracy, especially in the Third World, through overt and covert policy choices. He stated, “One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This was a fundamental issue in the war with Germany and Japan. Our victory was won over countries which sought to impose their will, and their way of life, upon other nations.” He goes on to say, “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.” By promoting the United States as the world’s protector against terror and oppression, Truman paved the way for the United States’ involvement in future battles over communism and imperialism for several future decades, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and ultimately the battles in Afghanistan and