Nuclear War

The most pivotal event during World War II at the strategic level of war was when the U.S severed relations with Russia by dropping the atomic bomb on japan because it was unknown to Russia, the power displayed provoked military fear, and the event created political unrest among leadership. This event in the war was so vital because it influence the relationship with Russia for the next 40+ years.

Argument 1

During World War II while the preparations of Nuclear weapons were underway, President Truman and the Interim Committee, which was created in 1945 and their purpose was to advise the president on matters that had to do with nuclear capability, was deciding whether they should tell Russia about their Nuclear Plans. President Truman had to make a very controversial decision whether he should tell Russia. The advantages of not telling Russia far outweighed the disadvantages.

• U.S. didn’t tell Russia because of how brutal and violent Stalin was to his people (Maddock 27). U.S. didn’t was to give Stalin the key to this new powerful weapon
• • Truman had two options: international control of nuclear weapons or a monopoly (Woods 79)

1. The bomb was thought to create peace.
2. Truman believed in the importance of U.Ss atomic Monopoly
3. “U.S. Soviet ideological differences would prevent them from working out a long-term program of cooperation” ( Maddock 27)

•  President Truman’s advisors told him that Russia couldn’t create a bomb for another couple decades. (woods 79)

1. By keeping Russia in the dark, this gives U.S a chance to get to a significant lead in the arms race by the time Russia finds out about their capability.
2.  If Truman told Russia his secrets about nuclear capability, Russia would began their production with this new technology, thus creating the U.S. with a small lead on the arms race.

Argument 2

When the U.S. dropped the bombs on japan, this new power demonstrated by the U.S. provoked military fear in Russia. The effects of this caused Russia to match the power of the U.S. by creating their own weapons.

• U.S. was aggressive in getting Russia to agree to their terms in post WWII. By using their nuclear arsenal as a bargaining chip.
• “made the Soviet Union even more anxious to protect its borders with a controlled buffer zone” (US state dept.). When Russia didn’t comply with U.S’s wishes for free elections in east Europe, Russia became concerned with the threat of nuclear weapons.
• Russia wants to spread the idea of Marxism

1. Russia didn’t have enough power to spread this idea after US showcased they were the most powerful country when displaying nuclear weapons
2. Russia began rapidly revamping their military and starting their nuclear programs

Argument 3

Another effect of the dropping of the nuclear bomb on japan was it caused political unrest among leadership in Moscow. They were behind the U.S when it came to power and influence in the international community.

•  Nuclear capability was seen as a “master card” for diplomacy for Truman (Bernstein 35). Russia now didn’t have leverage in negotiations that were to come following WWII.

• “It was clearly realized that this was a New Fact in the world’s power politics, that the bomb constituted a threat to Russia” (36 Bernstein). Stalin was fearful of the technological and economical advances of the western world.

• After WWII ended U.S. wanted to spread democracy to the damaged Europe.

1. This made Russia angry because they wanted to push their agenda of spreading Communism.
2. Russia’s focus was on the surrounding countries to spread their ideas to because they could be used as extra layer of protection to their boarders.

Annotated Bibliography

Bernstein, Barton J. Politics and Policies of the Truman Administration. New Viewpoints, 1974.

The book Politics and polices of the Truman Administration by Bernstein goes in depth about how and why the Truman administration made certain decisions about foreign policy. This book covered behind the scenes during the Manhattan project and how the politics of it shaped the decision making of President Truman. It detailed the conversations with Truman’s advisors and the physicists in attempting to persuade him to tell Russia about their nuclear capability.

The book used foreshadowing when Bernstein talks about the physicists warn Truman of the consequences of dropping the bomb and how it would start a nuclear arms race. When they predicted was in fact true. After the bomb was dropped the book talks about how the Russians saw it as a direct threat and their reactions to it. Overall this book touches on mainly the political side of the start of the cold war and during the cold war.

Woods, Randall Bennett., and Howard Jones. Dawning of the Cold War: the United States Quest for Order. Dee, 1994.

The book Dawning of the Cold War focuses on the time period leading up to the cold war. It touches on the major events that shaped the confrontation between The U.S and Russia. The book gave insight on the mindset Truman had as he made decisions when it came to the control of Nuclear weapons. Woods wrote about the Truman’s Quest for mediation with Russia while keeping them in the dark about their nuclear capability. It ultimately failed which led to the cold war.

Maddock, Shane J. Nuclear Apartheid: the Quest for American Atomic Supremacy from World War II to the Present. The University of North Carolina Press, 2014.

Nuclear Apartheid by Shane J. Maddock is about how U.S. became a nuclear power and it starts at the very beginning when they discovered fission all the way to George W. Bush nuclear policy. Maddock wrote this book based on declassified sources and documents released by the U.S and international archives.

The most critical part about this book was the introduction of nuclear weapons to the world and how this led to an arms race with the Soviet Union. This book hits on the reasons behind not telling Russia about the U.S’s nuclear capability. Maddock effectively told the story of beginning to end of the nuclear age and how the actions of the United States sparked the era of Nuclear weapons.

Archive, W. (2018). Wilson Center Digital Archive. [online] Digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org. Available at: https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/116178 [Accessed 13 Sep. 2018].

This document was a classified telegram sent from Ambassador George F. Kennan writing to the Secretary of State on February 22, 1946. In the document, George Kennan writes an analysis of why Soviet government won’t cooperate with the U.S. He talked about how the Russians are fearful of the western powers and how advanced they are economically, militarily, and politically.

As a result, Russians became insecure and were scared of direct contact with the westerner’s world. To overcome this, Russia revamped their military especially their nuclear programs to match those of the most powerful western country, the U.S. U.S. and Russia had complete opposite beliefs which fueled their strong dislike after WWII ended. Kennan gave crucial insight to the U.S. government during a highly intense diplomatic time period.

Archive, W. (2018). Wilson Center Digital Archive. [online] Digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org. Available at: https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/116178 [Accessed 13 Sep. 2018].

Atomic Diplomacy is an article from the archives of the United States Department of State Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs. This article sheds light on the after effects of the nuclear bombing of Japan during WWII. The U.S. hoped to use their nuclear monopoly over the world would be effectively used to influence foreign affairs.

After U.S. showcased their nuclear power, The Western World relied on them for security under their “nuclear umbrella”. This document talks about how Russia was scared of U.S. influence and was forced to develop their own weapons to help protect from the advancements of the Western world as well as help keep their influence on the world alive.