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The Cold War was a period of tension whereby the Western world and the communist democracies of Eastern Europe were in conflict as a result of an ideological and geopolitical struggle for global influence. Tensions never led to direct military engagement, but the conflict was through diplomacy, arms race, and proxy wars. The Soviet Union, also known as the USSR, was a socialist and communist area in Russia and some surrounding areas created in 1922. Many people and scholars would suggest that the Soviet Union was to blame for the Cold War due to the actions of Stalin who was the Soviet Union leader and wanted world domination. It is common for a traditionalist view of thought to argue that Stalin and the USSR were the cause of the Cold War. Traditionalists argue that the Soviets were aggressive in their economic policy, and they were considered to be proactive and aggressive in disturbing potential peace in the aftermath of the Second World War. Many would argue that the Soviet Union started the Cold War convincingly and accurately as they can be seen to have been ultimately forcing communism upon European countries which created this period of tension. However, others may argue that what is called a revisionist viewpoint, which was prominent in the later 1960s, is more convincing as it considers US policy after World War II. The revisionist approach believed that the USA was potentially equally to blame as their policies were focused on spreading capitalism in democracies and that this was the overall cause of the Cold War. These policies were arguably based on economic benefit for the US and therefore it is possible to argue that the Soviet Union and the USA were both to blame for the emergence of the Cold War. Different schools of thought influence the extent to which people may argue that the Cold War was solely the Soviet Union's fault.
The Soviet Union's aim was to expand the soviet ideology across different states in the world. Stalin was greatly motivated by the idea of Soviet Union security and was reckless in his attempt to achieve this after the Second World War. The Yalta conference, which took place in 1945, was a conference that depicted the fate of Germany after the World War. This conference included the current leaders of the Soviets, and the US, who were considered as the three powers of the world. Stalin's aim in the conference was to have political influence in eastern and central Europe and this later on led to forcing his communist views on these areas which arguably was the cause of the Cold War. He broke the Yalta agreements in Poland, whereby he agreed with Winston Churchill to allow democracy and free elections, however, this did not occur as Poland later came under the influence of the Soviet Union in 1947 due to Stalin failing to provide free elections in Poland as well as other states. Some would argue that this was the beginning of the blame being on the Soviets, as they were breaking agreements in order to spread the Soviet ideology. Winston Churchill therefore publicly believed that the Soviets were a threat to peace, which aided the traditionalist view which would agree that the Soviet Union started the Cold War to a large extent. The USSR dedicated its policies to expansionism across Asia and Europe and created political tensions across the West and Eastern Europe, therefore a traditionalist view would agree that the responsibility of the Cold War was on the Soviet Union and possibly argue that it was Stalin's fault accordingly.
Another viewpoint, which could argue that the blame is on both the Soviets and the US, is called a revisionist approach. Some revisionists may even say that the US was more so or equally to blame than the Soviets. For instance, when the US used military power to forge a world market dominated by American trade goods, it may be argued that the Soviet Union did nothing more in Eastern Europe than the USA had in Western Europe, suggesting the blame is equal. The revisionist approach also considers that American policies were desired to spread capitalism and democracy, which ultimately caused the Cold War. These American policies aimed to contain communism in Europe, pleasing the Soviets, so that in return Europe was populated with capitalist nations for American trade. Policies including the Marshall Plan worked towards this goal. The Marshall Plan, also known as the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, was a plan whereby Americans provided aid to the West to help the recovery of post-war Europe. As a result, the Soviets believed they had no option but to react to the USA by refusing the aid in order to keep Eastern Europe under soviet control which Stalin believed would be jeopardized as a result of accepting the aid. They viewed the U.S. as an aggressive imperial power that was determined to expand its political and economic systems. Many revisionists could argue that the USA was driven more by economic considerations than the principles of democracy, and the spread of capitalism throughout these considerations makes it possible to disagree with this statement to a large extent as the US could be equally to blame with the Soviets. However, traditionists would argue that the USA had no choice but to respond the Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe, therefore perhaps the US policies and plans, such as the Marshall Plan, could be considered as a response to the Soviet Union's aggression.
To conclude, it is arguable that the Soviet Union was to blame for the Cold War to a certain extent, but not solely as America had aggressive imperial power and were, like the Soviets, determined to expand their political ideologies and economic systems. After examining two different approaches, it is clear to see that there is not one cause of the Cold War, but a collection of several, caused by both the USSR and the USA.
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