The Rise of the Soviet Union and Communism
- After the war, USSR and United States were the remaining physically and economically stable nations.
- USSR and US parted ways after WWII due to mutual suspicion of the other's motives and principles.
- USSR was eager to expand its borders and to spread Communist ideals across Europe.
- Joseph Stalin, leader of USSR, gained sufficient information about Western allies (now enemies) during WWII and used this to increase his power and Soviet's influence.
- By 1947, many Europeans lost faith in their governments. Communist ideology became very appealing, as it promised economic stability, equality and peace.
- US government officials were troubled by USSR's presence in Postwar Europe and wished communism not to spread beyond Eastern Europe.
Red - Soviet Union and its allied countries
Green- Countries allied to the United States and part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Grey- Non-aligned countries
Green- Countries allied to the United States and part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Grey- Non-aligned countries
The rapid Soviet recovery from World War II becomes less surprising when we take into account the Soviet economy's very large backlog of unexploited potential... Soviet postwar recovery and growth was organized within the framework of centralized command system for mobilizing resources. The working arrangements of this mobilization system also benefited from the increased efficiency of Stalin's postwar rule. The war greatly increased Stalin's information about the distribution of loyalty in Soviet society...Stalin could identify his enemies and deal with them person by person..." ~ Professor Mark Harrison (The Soviet Union after 1945: Economic Recovery and Political Repression)
It is popular to call it a crisis of the Western world. It is in fact a crisis of the whole world. Communism, which claims to be a solution of the crisis, is itself a symptom and an irritant of the crisis." ~ Whittaker Chambers |