Cold War: Germany

[vernieleigh]

This topic is dedicated to the The role of Germany in the origins and development of the Cold War.

Major themes

Origins of the Cold War

• Ideological differences

• Mutual suspicion and fear

• From wartime allies to post-war enemies

Nature of the Cold War

• Ideological opposition

• Superpowers and spheres of influence

• Alliances and diplomacy in the Cold War

Development and impact of the Cold War

• Global spread of the Cold War from its European origins

• Cold War policies of containment, brinkmanship, peaceful coexistence, détente

• Role of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement

• Role and significance of leaders

• Arms race, proliferation and limitation

• Social, cultural and economic impact

End of the Cold War

• Break-up of Soviet Union: internal problems and external pressures

• Breakdown of Soviet control over Central and Eastern Europe

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Hi friends

So I was given this research topic by my teacher to cover in class:

To what extent was US reluctance in reunifying Germany the cause of the Berlin wall?

I attempted to find some sources and some notes, but to no avail.

I appreciate every little detail anyone posts!

Thanks so much guys

[Keel]

Hi friends

So I was given this research topic by my teacher to cover in class:

To what extent was US reluctance in reunifying Germany the cause of the Berlin wall?

I attempted to find some sources and some notes, but to no avail.

I appreciate every little detail anyone posts!

Thanks so much guys

Hello,

We can't answer the question for you but what we can do is point out the key aspects of the issue to put you on the right track.

Firstly you want to find out what caused the Berline Wall before you answer the question.

-You want to look at Khrushchev and the Berlin Crisis of 1958 (what was Khrushchev thinking? Fear of West Germany acquiring nuclear arms? Poor East German economy? Pressure from Ulbricht?)

-The role of Kenndy and 'flexible response'

-The Berlin Crisis of 1960-61

You might also want to look at long term causes (Potstam and Yalta, planning for post war germany, superpowers each had different aims) or geographical causes such as Berlin being 200 kilometers deep into East German territory meant that there would inevitably be some dispute over Berlin. Molotov, "What happens to Berlin, happens to Germany. What happens to Germany, happens to Europe." Great quote for exloring why Germany was a source of Cold War tensions.

[vernieleigh]

Hello,

We can't answer the question for you but what we can do is point out the key aspects of the issue to put you on the right track.

Firstly you want to find out what caused the Berline Wall before you answer the question.

-You want to look at Khrushchev and the Berlin Crisis of 1958 (what was Khrushchev thinking? Fear of West Germany acquiring nuclear arms? Poor East German economy? Pressure from Ulbricht?)

-The role of Kenndy and 'flexible response'

-The Berlin Crisis of 1960-61

You might also want to look at long term causes (Potstam and Yalta, planning for post war germany, superpowers each had different aims) or geographical causes such as Berlin being 200 kilometers deep into East German territory meant that there would inevitably be some dispute over Berlin. Molotov, "What happens to Berlin, happens to Germany. What happens to Germany, happens to Europe." Great quote for exloring why Germany was a source of Cold War tensions.

Thanks

I was just wondering about some sources as to acquire this information as well.

[Keel]

Thanks

I was just wondering about some sources as to acquire this information as well.

Well this is pretty basic information so all Cold War textbooks should cover them. If you're going after historiography I recommend the works by John Lewis Gaddis and Walter LaFeber