• 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
  • 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
  • Sources

  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/19cLwhmKd9wtAH180EgvoqnPJBoxpqvEJfuWgdiGhQuI/edit

    • Table created during class

image

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”