The Cold War: Part Two

4/27/2020

Target Timeline: Tuesday 5.5
What caused the USSR to collapse the Cold War to come to a thankfully uneventful end?

Evaluate the following historical argument and reply by agreeing or disagreeing with historical evidence.

American diplomat George F. Kennan proposed his famous containment theory in 1946–47, arguing that, if the Soviet Union were not allowed to expand, it would soon collapse. In the X Article he wrote:
- [T]he main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies... Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the Western world is something that can be constrained by the adroit and vigilant application of counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and maneuvers of Soviet policy.
- The United States would have to undertake this containment alone and unilaterally, but if it could do so without undermining its own economic health and political stability, the Soviet party structure would undergo a period of immense strain eventually resulting in "either the break-up or the gradual mellowing of Soviet power." - source: wikipedia.com
  - Need a hint: s - p - i - c - E - t

6 Comments

Mariela

5/5/2020 04:44:19 pm

Disagree

Izabel

5/6/2020 11:03:01 am

Disagree.

Sherer

5/6/2020 06:34:09 pm

These are not answers that can be answered in a single word: agree or disagree. More like a short answer, you know? While this counts for attendance for the week, in no way do these two above comments qualify for extra credit. Email Mr. Sherer at sheream@nv.ccsd if you have questions.

Angel Brillon

5/7/2020 11:28:43 am

I agree, United States can uphold of the containment of Soviet since they have to worry about territorial power and economical power between them. But if they will be able to stop the expansion then it would be good and bad since they would lose a lot of supplies/trade
from that area if they did expand. But if the U.S. was able to stop then we would worry about if someone will takeover Russia/Soviet. It would be less of a threat to the U.S. since Soviet doesn't have any territorial power. If the sudden collapse of Soviet/Russia we would be able to take it over but then have to maintain the economic power between them. If soviet has the expansion they would also expand their doctrine/beliefs across the country's. In "Mr.X" we would have to be more vigilant since Russia might have an opportunity to take it back. But I feel like U.S. can't take it alone with no help they will have a higher chance of losing than winning. In the end I kinda agree and disagree with this theory since either both sides they have bad consequences and good consequences.

John

5/7/2020 04:57:03 pm

I agree, the USSR came to an end when the soviet republics decided not to take part in the soviet union. If the soviet union doesnt expand it would come to an end affecting its economy and power immensely. The united states cant take it alone without causing strain or damage to it's own economy and power.

Antonio Marquez

5/8/2020 06:20:30 pm

I agree, the USSR depended on the spread of communism to help them geographically, politically, and economically to control other countries. In order to stop communism from spreading, the U.S proposed the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan, which helped all Democratic nations politically, militarily, and economically. Both of these plans helped other nations depend on the U.S to recover from the damages of the war.

The Cold War: Part Two

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