To what extent were the policies of the United States responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949?

The Cold War was a period of international tension between the USA and the USSR that developed at the end of Second World War in 1945. It dominated international relations for over forty years. It was a conflict that involved economic measures, non-cooperation and propaganda but no direct armed fighting between the two sides. Many historians argue that the USA was largely responsible for the outbreak and development of Cold war from 1945 to 1949. From the Revisionist School point of view, it sees the Cold War as the result of the actions of the USA rather than the USSR according to Gauci. This approach stress the defensive aspect of Stalin foreign policy faced with an aggressive USA attempting to gain economic dominance over Europe. However these contradict the Orthodox school point of view. It states that the Cold War was the product of the aggressive and expansionist foreign policy of Stalin policy and the USSR. Suspicions between the two superpowers in Yalta and Potsdam Conference were seen as the main caused for the development of Cold war. Policy such as Truman Doctrine, containment and McCarthyism caused further tension between these two countries which eventually led to the outbreak of Cold War.

 At Yalta conferences in 1945, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed upon demilitarisation of Nazi Germany and establishment of United Nations. Furthermore, Soviet Union agreed to join the USA in war against Japan, in return for receiving some of Japan Island in the Far East. Following Roosevelt death, Truman became the next president of the United States. He described Roosevelt as being too soft on the communist; therefore he introduced the Iron Fist, which was a tougher approach to the USSR. In the same year, Truman attended the Potsdam conference and was determined not to inform Stalin of the decision to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan.

Four days after Yalta conference, the American Bombed Hiroshima. It was hoped that Stalin would take notice and become more amenable in Europe. Gauci acknowledge that Stalin saw the failure of Truman to at least inform him of the bomb as a deep insult and, far from making Stalin more amenable, it increased his suspicions and distrust of US motives. Second Bombing on Hiroshima brought the surrender of Japan without the help of Soviet Union. Stalin was therefore denied a part in the occupation of Japan.

The USA which was constantly looking around for evidence of Soviet expansion, the event in Greece in 1947 confirmed their worst fears.  In Greece, since 1944 there have been a civil war between the monarchist and the communist and the West became convinced that this was another sign of Soviet expansion. Firm action was taken to alter Soviet expansion plan. As a result, Truman Doctrine was issued in 1947. It stated that the USA would aid any country and government under attack by armed minorities. It was aimed at preventing the spread of communism. This was put into action when USA sends aid and military advisers into Greece to combat the communist.

To continue aiding Europe countries devastated by World War two, Marshall Plan succeeded Truman Doctrine. To Stalin this was evidence of US imperialism. Marshall Plan was a plan to provide US financial support to war torn Europe. Over $ 17 billion were provided to Western Europe stated by Gauci. The conditions attached to receiving the aid was to provide economic records and open up their economy to US capital interest. The Soviet Union viewed Marshall Aid as nothing more than an attack on communism. 

Tensions escalated with Truman's policies and actions. The United States saw the Soviet Union and Communism as intimidating and expansionist, and tried to control the expansion. However, this led to the Soviet Union viewing the USA as being aggressive and expansionist as well, especially with the Marshall Plan.

In response to the Berlin Blockade as well as the Berlin airlift in 1948, NATO was established. USA realizes that to maintain the Berlin airlift requires a lot of effort; therefore they set up NATO to avoid events such as Berlin airlift in happening again. The USA opened talk with Canada and the countries of Western Europe with the aim of committing itself to a military alliance. The result was the setting up of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. It was a defensive nuclear arms treaty that gave protection over the countries in the pact from an attack from the East and the Communists. This eventually led to the creation of Warsaw pact in 1955.

The policies that United States undertook between 1945 to 1949 formed the basis of clash and ideology and building tension with the United States.  Both sides viewed each other as aggressive in their expansion and tried to fill in the power vacuum left in World War two. However the policies of the USA was seen as provocative and this led to the development of tensions and ideological clash; therefore this was the main cause which led to the outbreak and development of the war from 1945 to 1949.