-
Comparison between Truman and Stalin
-
Focus
- The “impact” of leaders on the “course” and “development” of the Cold War
- It is important to connect policies to their role and impact
-
Introduction
- Truman was the president from 1945 to 1953
- He succeeded Roosevelt, who had a more appeasing stance towards Stalin
- Stalin was the leader from 1924-1953
- They were leaders during the transition from a multipolar to a bipolar world, with Europe weakened after World War II
- Both leaders represented competing systems, each believing in their own righteousness and perceiving the expansionist plans of the other as a threat
- The American intervention in Russia in 1918 set the stage for this perception
- Truman was the president from 1945 to 1953
-
Both leaders aimed to create their sphere of influence in Europe
- Truman pursued a policy of proactive containment against the Soviet sphere of influence through the Truman Doctrine, in contrast to the previous isolationist approach
- Stalin also pursued an ideological confrontation and saw the world divided into two camps: the “imperialistic” camp led by the US and the “democratic” camp led by the USSR, with artists and intelligentsias expected to follow this perspective
- Europe became divided as a result
-
Both leaders intervened in Asia to establish their spheres of influence
-
Different Tactics
-
General Policies
- Both Truman and Stalin pursued ideological confrontation and used their military capabilities to confront each other
- Both leaders engaged in an arms race and pursued the containment of the other in Europe and other regions
- Truman initially relied on the threat of nuclear weapons to contain the Soviets, while Stalin relied more on conventional forces
-
Regional Policies (Asia)
- The US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to demonstrate its military power to the Russians
- Both leaders intervened in Asia to establish their spheres of influence
- Truman sent military advisors to Vietnam during the early stages of the conflict
-
Regional Policies (Europe)
- NATO was created as a military alliance between the US and Western Europe, primarily as a safety measure for the US and to increase its influence
- The Warsaw Pact was created by the Eastern European countries to protect themselves from NATO
- Both leaders focused on Germany as a key strategic territory and broke agreements made at Yalta and Potsdam
- Truman used economic assistance, such as the Marshall Plan, to gain political influence in Western Europe, while Stalin used conventional military strength to gain political control in Eastern Europe
-
Claim / Conclusion
- Despite minor differences in their approaches, both Truman and Stalin aimed to increase their influence and contain each other using political, economic, and militaristic power
- Their actions played a significant role in ending the Grand Alliance and starting the confrontation of the Cold War
-
Note
- It is important to mention the overlapping period of Truman and Stalin as the main focus
- For example, it may be unnecessary to discuss the Warsaw Pact since Truman was not involved, but a brief mention for context may be helpful
- Briefly touching on topics outside the scope can provide additional context
- It is important to mention the overlapping period of Truman and Stalin as the main focus
-
Sources
- Pearson Textbook p242
- Includes quotes
- Cold War and Americas
- Truman and the Cold War section
- This source also covers content for Paper 3 (HL)
- https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/a-comparative-study-between-the-roles-of-truman-and-stalin-in-the-development-of-the-cold-war/
- https://matteoaprilehistory.weebly.com/truman-and-stalin%20https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/a-comparative-study-between-the-roles-of-truman-and-stalin-in-the-development-of-the-cold-war/-essay.html
- Pearson Textbook p242
-
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19cLwhmKd9wtAH180EgvoqnPJBoxpqvEJfuWgdiGhQuI/edit
- Table created during class
Possible questions:
- Compare and contrast the roles of two Cold War leaders from different regions in the development of the Cold War.
- Analyze the roles of two Cold War leaders from different regions in the development of the Cold War.
- Other possibilities include “analyze” or “discuss”