Cold War Coursework

Using these four passages and your own knowledge, assess the view that during the Second World War the relationship between the ussr and the west was characterised more by co-operation than by disagreement.

The four interpretations are in agreement that during the second World War the relationship between the USSR and the West was characterised more by cooperation than disagreement. There was major conflict over various issues regarding Communisms security in Eastern Europe, specifically expansionism in Eastern Europe which caused the relations between allies to deteriorate after the war, however the Allies maintained an alliance despite the pressure frequently placed upon it. Similarly Loth and Boyle argue that the relationship was again, characterised by cooperation, however their reasoning for the cooperation is different. They both believe that cooperation was maintained by “material aid” from the United States to the USSR under the name of lend-lease, however Loth also argues that it was mutual interest in the destruction of Axis powers that brought the alliance to cooperate. Both of these interpretations however exaggerate levels of cooperation in the Grand Alliance, ignoring Truman's actions and and contentious issues such as free election in Eastern Europe, and the Berne incident. Acton and Stableton's Interpretation argues that the alliance was characterised by cooperation over its goal of Axis' surrender, and there was little or no conflict, and said conflict was secondary to the eventual satisfaction brought on be the achievement of their goals. Ultimately the sources all agree that cooperation characterised the alliance and these interpretations can be supported with events throughout the period, however they frequently neglect many of the issues which eventually lead to the cold war. Westwood poses his view that ‘wartime co-operation between the USSR and her allies was marred by friction’, separating Stalin from his occidental associates in the