1
Historians and their interpretations of the Cold War
CONTENTS
Pg.:
Brief Summaries..............................2-5
Thomas Paterson.............................6
Melvyn Leffler..................................7
Martin Sherwin................................8
Arthur Schlesinger............................9-10
David Reynolds................................11-12
Robert Jervis...................................13-14
Cox and Kennedy-Pipe....................15-18
David Holloway..............................19-21
Charles Maier.................................22-23
Geoffrey Roberts.............................24-25
, 2
Summaries
Thomas G. Paterson Pg. 5-9 Paterson notes that ‘revisionist’ interpretations challenge the
idea that Moscow started the Cold War. These interpretations
The Origins of the Cold War came about because of the decline of McCarthyism, the
OAH Magazine of History Vietnam War, and the availability of early Cold War
(Summer, 1986) documents. Paterson displays the revisionist argument,
whereby it is in fact USA that is more responsible for the Cold
War. For example, Truman’s projection of American power
abroad contributed to Cold War tensions. The US was an
expansionist power but behaved like imperialists. It is noted
that American leaders exaggerated the Soviet threat, which
led to an expansion of American military and then an
expansion of Soviet military, as they feared encirclement, thus
causing the Cold War.
Melvyn P. Leffler Pg. 15- Leffler informs us that American defence officials considered a
32 favourable balance of power in Eurasia as fundamental to US
NATIONAL SECURITY AND US national security, as this balance was threatened by
FOREIGN POLICY Communist exploitation. They feared resources of Eurasia
falling under Russian control. The US also feared losing
Eurasia, as Communist parties could exploit the distress there
(e.g., famine, disease, anarchy) and spread Soviet influence.
They established an overseas base system to improve national
security, as many felt the ultimate aim of Soviet foreign policy
was Russian domination of a Communist world. This led to an
imperative action to safeguard those areas of Eurasia not
already within the Soviet sphere.
Martin J. Sherwin Pg. 58- The Anglo-American atomic energy partnership was forged by
68 the war. There was much opposition to this partnership, for
THE ATOMIC BOMB AND THE example from Conant (president of Harvard University) and
ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR Bush; nevertheless, the Quebec Agreement revived it.
Although partnership with the British was not recommended,
Roosevelt still made commitments in 1943 supporting
Churchill’s monopolistic, anti-Soviet position. In September
1944, Roosevelt and Churchill signed an aide-memoire on
atomic energy, which explicitly rejected any wartime efforts
toward international control. Roosevelt refused to open
negotiations with the Soviet government for the international
control of atomic energy and he never objected the wartime
use of the bomb. The weapon was seen as a potential
instrument of diplomacy. The possibility of cooperation with
the Soviet Union was thus undermined. Therefore, Sherwin
argues that US policies contributed to the Cold War.
Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Pg. 22- Schlesinger explains that there were two clashing views of
52 world order: the ‘universalist’ view (all nations shared a
Historians and their interpretations of the Cold War
CONTENTS
Pg.:
Brief Summaries..............................2-5
Thomas Paterson.............................6
Melvyn Leffler..................................7
Martin Sherwin................................8
Arthur Schlesinger............................9-10
David Reynolds................................11-12
Robert Jervis...................................13-14
Cox and Kennedy-Pipe....................15-18
David Holloway..............................19-21
Charles Maier.................................22-23
Geoffrey Roberts.............................24-25
, 2
Summaries
Thomas G. Paterson Pg. 5-9 Paterson notes that ‘revisionist’ interpretations challenge the
idea that Moscow started the Cold War. These interpretations
The Origins of the Cold War came about because of the decline of McCarthyism, the
OAH Magazine of History Vietnam War, and the availability of early Cold War
(Summer, 1986) documents. Paterson displays the revisionist argument,
whereby it is in fact USA that is more responsible for the Cold
War. For example, Truman’s projection of American power
abroad contributed to Cold War tensions. The US was an
expansionist power but behaved like imperialists. It is noted
that American leaders exaggerated the Soviet threat, which
led to an expansion of American military and then an
expansion of Soviet military, as they feared encirclement, thus
causing the Cold War.
Melvyn P. Leffler Pg. 15- Leffler informs us that American defence officials considered a
32 favourable balance of power in Eurasia as fundamental to US
NATIONAL SECURITY AND US national security, as this balance was threatened by
FOREIGN POLICY Communist exploitation. They feared resources of Eurasia
falling under Russian control. The US also feared losing
Eurasia, as Communist parties could exploit the distress there
(e.g., famine, disease, anarchy) and spread Soviet influence.
They established an overseas base system to improve national
security, as many felt the ultimate aim of Soviet foreign policy
was Russian domination of a Communist world. This led to an
imperative action to safeguard those areas of Eurasia not
already within the Soviet sphere.
Martin J. Sherwin Pg. 58- The Anglo-American atomic energy partnership was forged by
68 the war. There was much opposition to this partnership, for
THE ATOMIC BOMB AND THE example from Conant (president of Harvard University) and
ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR Bush; nevertheless, the Quebec Agreement revived it.
Although partnership with the British was not recommended,
Roosevelt still made commitments in 1943 supporting
Churchill’s monopolistic, anti-Soviet position. In September
1944, Roosevelt and Churchill signed an aide-memoire on
atomic energy, which explicitly rejected any wartime efforts
toward international control. Roosevelt refused to open
negotiations with the Soviet government for the international
control of atomic energy and he never objected the wartime
use of the bomb. The weapon was seen as a potential
instrument of diplomacy. The possibility of cooperation with
the Soviet Union was thus undermined. Therefore, Sherwin
argues that US policies contributed to the Cold War.
Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Pg. 22- Schlesinger explains that there were two clashing views of
52 world order: the ‘universalist’ view (all nations shared a
