The Seeds of Conflict

1. Define "The West." Make sure you could identify several countries as examples.

The West refers to the capitalistic, democratic countries of western Europe and North America during the Cold War. The United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain were all part of the West.

2. Explain the differences in the economic ideology between the West and the USSR.

The economic ideologies of the West and the USSR were in stark contrast. In the West, there was an incentive of individual gain rather the community responsibility encouraged by USSR communists. The USSR believed that West’s emphasis on private ownership of businesses created a division between the rich factory owners and the poor working classes. The USSR communists wanted all factories, businesses, and land to be taken over by the government on behalf of the people. This policy of nationalization enabled the goods generated by the economy to be distributed fairly according to need. Business, factory, and land owners in the capitalistic West considered nationalization to be a threat to their wealth, status, and power.

3. Explain the differences in the political ideology between the West and the USSR.

In addition to economic differences, the West and USSR had differing political systems. Western democratic governments defended unalienable rights such as the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. In contrast, the freedoms enjoyed by many Western countries were under threat in the USSR. Furthermore, in a communist state, where a classless society was being created, there was no need for different political parties. A communist system was a one-party state, with the Communist Party ruling on behalf of the people, while Western democracy gave people a choice of government. An additional part of the communist ideology was the belief that conflict between capitalism and communism was inevitable because they represented completely opposed systems.

4. What was the Comintern (Communist International), and why did it concern the West?

The Comintern (Communist International) was an organization created in 1919 to further the cause of communism and aid the collapse of capitalism. The organization’s role was to coordinate communist groups throughout the world and support their attempts to undermine capitalism in any possible way. The West was concerned that the West was being used to further the communist efforts to destroy capitalism, and they feared the spread of communist revolution.

5. What occurred during the Russian Civil War (1918-21) that solidified the opposition between the West and the Communists? (Be specific and use key details.)

The West’s intervention against the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War solidified the opposition between the West and the Communists. The West sided with the Whites, who wished to prevent the establishment of the Bolshevik rule. Western support of the Whites eventually faded, and Lenin’s Bolshevik regime won the Civil War in 1921. Nevertheless, the West’s intervention emphasized the West’s hostility towards communism and the fact that the West would consider employing military action against communism whenever possible.