Using Sources K to N, and your own knowledge, how far do you accept the view of Source K that it was American foreign policy that ‘crystallized the Cold War’?
The emergence of the Cold War can, to some extent be seen as a result of American Foreign policy – as it merely intensified previous tensions and distrust within the two superpowers. However, the ‘crystallization’ of the Cold War can also be seen as being due to several other factors such as the individuals’ personalities, the power vacuum that emerged at the end of WWII and the fundamental clash of ideologies all, to a certain degree, combined to cause the emergence of the Cold War, (the factors are all interlinked with one another).
Firstly, it can be considered (at least to some degree) that the emergence and ‘crystallization’ of the Cold War was due to American foreign policy, as source K stresses the importance of US foreign policy as a contributory factor as America were keen to preserve their economic interests and to maintain political control – it says that ‘the US [employed] its new and awesome power’, meaning that tension would be caused inevitably, as the Soviets did not want to see the Americans gaining too much influence. An examples of foreign policies launched by the US that were designed to help the European markets (to retain the Open-door policy) is the Marshall Plan, introduced in 1947, it was a programme designed to offer financial aid to countries that were economically damaged in the second world war, and that were also deemed to be under threat or at ‘risk’ communist expansion, (in the West’s opinion at least). This may have further exacerbated the problems between the two superpowers as it was seen as interference by the USA and was therefore relatively condemned by the Soviet Union - however, the USSR did respond by offering financial aid to communist countries, though many declined