Stalinism's Influence On Russian-American Tensions During The Cold War
Stalinism undoubtedly contributed to worsening Russian-American tensions that resulted in the start of the Cold War. Levering states that the ideology based on Marxist principles was not one that encapsulated the views of the Russian people at the time as a whole, but rather the doctrines of solely Russian rulers. Leninism didn’t allow for capitalist USA to cooperate to the extent it was willing to and even those within the Communist Party such economist Eugen Varga were disregarded for having this view. This shows how not all communists were intent on opposing capitalist nations like the USA but the totalitarian nature of Russia instigated by Stalin and previous leaders neglected the views of those contradicting the core Marxist beliefs, proving that leaders themselves had a large responsibility for the start of
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American belligerence towards communism was entrenched in America’s core political beliefs and history, shown in George Kennan’s (not George F. Kennan) lambaste of the Siberian prison system and the later criticism of communists as a result of the First and Second Red scares. Kennan “ripped away the veil of fancy from Russian despotism”, revealing the true totalitarian nature of the Tsar’s control on Russia, and garnered significant support. As a result of Kennan’s findings Bailey asserts that Americans had begun to understand the unlikeness of a friendship between two nations that were so different. Disapproval and speculation continued and grew from the late 1800s. The Red Revolution was “burning up the foundations of society” in the eyes of Attorney-General Palmer and many others in the early 1900s. As a result of this built-up hysteria over communism, those perceived to be communist were “confined and ostracised” for contradicting the American ways of liberty. Stalin’s purges disturbed the brief lull in Soviet-American tensions post 1933 and received significant criticism even from previous advocators of the Soviet system such as the New York
American belligerence towards communism was entrenched in America’s core political beliefs and history, shown in George Kennan’s (not George F. Kennan) lambaste of the Siberian prison system and the later criticism of communists as a result of the First and Second Red scares. Kennan “ripped away the veil of fancy from Russian despotism”, revealing the true totalitarian nature of the Tsar’s control on Russia, and garnered significant support. As a result of Kennan’s findings Bailey asserts that Americans had begun to understand the unlikeness of a friendship between two nations that were so different. Disapproval and speculation continued and grew from the late 1800s. The Red Revolution was “burning up the foundations of society” in the eyes of Attorney-General Palmer and many others in the early 1900s. As a result of this built-up hysteria over communism, those perceived to be communist were “confined and ostracised” for contradicting the American ways of liberty. Stalin’s purges disturbed the brief lull in Soviet-American tensions post 1933 and received significant criticism even from previous advocators of the Soviet system such as the New York