On-going debate/controversy among historians

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Date: 30/04/2012
Historical Controversy Concerning the Cause of the Cold War
Introduction
Up to date, the Cold War which was fought between America and the Soviet Union represents one of the dominant historical issues. For many decades, these two superpowers had engaged not only in direct military combat but also in war of words where they denounced each other ritually for being the cause and the perpetrator of the war. Various American writers have been attracted to the concept that the Cold War contains special importance within modern history. This is because it took place within a period where each of the two countries had emanated from isolation to become the leading superpowers in the world. In addition, America is taken as being an exceptional country whose ascent to global was inevitable historically. A French political scientist by the name Alexis de Tocqueville had predicted that the world’s destiny would lastly fall within the hands of American and Russian people. Basing on this linear historical view, America was just assuming Western civilization leadership against the Eastern barbarism forces.
European scholars from the west have acknowledged the power and pre-eminent international role assumed by America since 1941. However, these historians hold reduced regard that the Cold War was a discrete era of the world history. From their extended historical viewpoint, it looks like yet an additional interlude within the struggle for territory and power which has been a dominant characteristic within the history of modern Europe. The significance of European events when it came to ending the Cold War has been offered an additional validity towards this view point. In addition, there exists an increased debate concerning the specific timing of the start of the Cold War (Falk, 96).
For the American historians who think of the struggle as wholly the battle of ideologies concerning liberal democracy against communism, the important date is the capturing of power by the Bolsheviks in 1917 in Russia. The basic importance is assigned towards the cruel reaction of America in the form of President Wilson’s public condemnation of the government of Bolshevist. This is alongside his deployment of American troops to Russia in 1918 to help the futile attempts of the western powers to get back the imperial regime. The association between Joseph Stalin and Franklin Roosevelt in World War II is observed as an aberration obtained singly from mutual American-soviet need to defeat the Nazi Germany. Once Nazi-Germany was removed, ideological rivalry continued and assumed an increasingly military aspect after the battle when Soviet and American troops encountered each other in central Europe.
Both America and the Soviet Union never thought seriously about going to war with each other between 1920s and 30s. Hence, their differences in ideologies failed to threaten the peace of the world. As we ...