Robbie
Alwood
HOA
21 November 2011
Word Count: 1563
The Role of Economic issues in the Development of the Cold War
A: Plan of Investigation:
To simplify the causes of the Cold War the many issues that were contributing factors can be grouped into three major realms political ideological disputes, economic motives, and the struggle each country had to become the most dominant super power. At first glance it may not seem likely that a war, even a relatively calm and bloodless one such as the Cold War, could possibly be fueled by economic motives, but unfortunately money and trade are often the leading forces in determining whether or not to enter a war with a rival nation. In the case of the Cold War economic incentives were clearing present. The Soviets and the United States differ in their even in their economic ideology, the Soviets were looking to expand their totalitarian regime and needed an economic policy to fit that and closed trade open trade for fear that idea of democracy would spread through commerce from the west; while the United States was known for supporting free and open trade among all nations. The most important question being, what were the economics issues that lead to Cold War and to completely answer this question one must look at primary and secondary sources of evidence that show economic differences of each country which may have lead to the Cold War. The policies taken and economic ideologies of each of the Soviets and the United States depict the economic quarrels that sparked the Cold War.
B: Summary of Evidence:
Although the most obvious contrasts between the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics maybe their political ideals, the United States being in support of a democratic government while the Soviets are in support of totalitarian dictatorship headed initially by Stalin, there exists another playing