Why Did Stalin Cause The Cold War

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In 1914, the Russian Empire was massive, stretching from Norway to China, making them a very powerful country. But it was not united. By this time, half of the workers in Russia are on strike or have been on strike. Along with this inner conflict, Russia becomes involved in World War I, and suffering greatly. The slaughter at Tannenberg when Germany invaded crushed Russian morale. The road system in Russia was in bad condition, making it harder to mobilize troops, weaponry and vital supplies to the front where it was needed. Around 1.8 million soldiers went to the front unarmed, and a hatred of Tsar Nicholas, or “Bloody Nicholas” as he was coming to be known for his military failures, started to form as the blame fell on him. The Bolshevik …show more content…

Germany was jointly occupied following World War Two. Stalin did not want Germany to rise again and threaten Europe, so he recommended dismemberment. The eastern border was shifted to the west, giving some German land to Poland. The remainder was divided into four, one piece going to the USSR, one to the United States, one to Great Britain and one to France. This divided country was weak and dependent on the Allies for resources. The Soviet Union stripped its section of manufacturing equipment, worsening the German economy. The United States invested in German industries, worried about the cost of Germany being completely reliant on the U.S. In 1946, The U.S. and Great Britain combined their occupation zones, and a year later the U.S. government started pumping money into Europe to assist in post-war recovery. Many countries along the Soviet border, some of which had already fallen to communism, received financial aid from the Soviets, strengthening the Soviet Bloc. By 1948, the Western Allies pulled together their occupation zones to start rebuilding Germany, but the Soviet Union refused to return their portion. The tension that built up as a result was one of the main causation factors behind