https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m 1. After reviewing the docs & the actions taken, what percentage of blame would you put on the US & the USSR for beginning the Cold War - briefly justify your answer. 2. Which action from part 3 did you feel most significantin in leading to an increase in tension/heat in the Cold War? Briefly justify your answer. 3. Respond to ONE of your classmates' posts offering respectful feeback on or a question about their answers. Number your responses (ex. 1., 2., etc.) en-us 2017-12-14 13:17:56 UTC 2025-12-04 21:24:40 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f525.png https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/471749836 Blame: 55% US; 45% USSR
Though both sides contributed to the tensions experienced in the Cold War, the unrealistic expectations the US hoped to impose on the USSR regarding nuclear limitation were ultimately the cause of the fallout between the two powers

I said the of the Berlin Airlift was the most significant action leading to an increase in tensions. This was because of the direct, aggressive nature of the action.]]> 2020-03-23 21:33:51 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/471749836 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/471767794 Blame 50% US and 55% USSR. Both sides were harsh towards eachother and both sides looked to benefit themselves causing the Cold War. 
I believe that the most significant action was Truman Doctrine becuase it direclty aided the democratic nations in the world. It aided countries like Greece and Turkey, which were directly fighting off Communism. This showed that the US would fight off Communism. ]]> 2020-03-23 21:48:36 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/471767794 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/474856979 Blame 55% US and 45% Soviet Union. Both sides greatly contributed to the tension that was forming the US was slightly more to blame because of their increased military and Nuclear energy spending, while refusing to give a loan to USSR to aid recovery in a time of US economic success. However the Soviet Union spread their control to surrounding nations. 

The most significant action taken during this time was the containment doctorine because it was created specifically to prevent USSR from gaining power. ]]> 2020-03-25 15:55:56 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/474856979 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/475355905 1. Blame 40% US and 60% USSR
I think the US is less to blame for the war than the USSR because the US was increasing their military and nuclear energy spending only because of the threat the USSR originally carried. The USSR is the ones who were trying to take over all of Europe so the US was just trying to help Eastern Europe and the rest of their allies. However, both sides are still for blame here because they both took actions that were controversial.

2. The NATO was a very significant organization during the Cold War Era because it was when the US, Western Europe, and Canada all formed a military alliance to fight the Soviet Union. NATO also worked towards European unity and American internationalism.  ]]> 2020-03-25 20:16:03 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/475355905 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/475699319  I placed the blame as 45% USA  and 55% Russia.  I mean, after the war the USSR was seriously concerned about having another attack and the USA kind of just denied their concerns.  Who wouldn't have been pretty mad and not retaliate in any way? The USA did not help this by increasing military spending and refusing to aid Russia. However, this doesn't really give you an excuse to basically conquer all your neighbors.

  I think the Berlin airlift was the most significant action because directly went against the USSR and couldn't really be twist a different way. It was kind of a slap in the face to Russia,  showing them that their word wasn't taken seriously, only raising tension higher.]]> 2020-03-26 03:23:03 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/475699319 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/476818237 1. I put 45% of the blame on the USA and 55% on the USSR. The USSR took certain actions to help protect themselves and their interests and the USA didn't agree so they took certain actions like the Berlin Airlift that prevented the USSR from protecting themselves through expansion. The USA was trying to protect other nations while the USSR was trying to protect itself and thus I think that the USSR is more to blame because they were helping themselves and not others. 

2. The most significant action that caused tension in the Cold War was the Containment Doctrine because it directly hurt the USSR and prevented them from expanding. It was a check placed on the USSR to keep them out of power.]]> 2020-03-26 16:01:53 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/476818237 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/477317072 1. I would give 55% of the blame to the USSR and 45% of the blame to the US. While the US had hostile relations with the USSR, and deployed the A-Bomb in Japan. The USSR's actions they took through the Iron curtain was unjustified in that the US was not establishing their own sphere of influence until the USSR did. 

2. The most significant action taken during this cold war era was the Berlin blockade. This went against the peace that the nations were trying to establish, and it went against reuniting the German nation. In result, the nations had to fly in resources to the isolated part of the capital to save lives. ]]> 2020-03-26 20:22:35 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/477317072 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/477663029 I would give 50% blame to the US and 50% to the USSR.  Due to the  serve damage of the Soviets and the sympathetic America, they both had different views of postwar Germany. The Soviets based their visions of security reasons while America had an ideological perspective. Their differences clashed and each action from both of the countries were seen as threats. I believe they did the same amount of provoking each other and same level of hostile actions. 

The most significant action taken during the Cold War was the Truman Doctrine. This universal pledge from the president posed a threat to the Soviets because it persuades other nations to join America and makes a clear competition, pro-soviet or pro-american. It also directly aided countries that were resisting communist aggression, which can be seen as "building an army". ]]> 2020-03-27 03:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/477663029 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478555661 1. I would say blame is 40% USA and 60% USSR. Due to the fact the USSR was continuing to try and add countries to those that were communist, and their almost relentless approach to do it. But this was to try and protect themselves from possible future attacks. While the USA didn't help this by continuing to spread its military over the globe, threatening the USSR. The USA also could have provided aid to the USSR after WW2 like it was doing in western europe. 

2. The most significant action was the Marshall plan. This was the plan for the USA that was giving money to western europe to help them rebuild. The USSR had also requested aid form the USA but we refused to give it to them. ]]> 2020-03-27 14:54:31 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478555661 8014982 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478744718 1. I believe that the blame percentages would be 45% on the US and 55% on the Soviet Union. Mainly because of the soviet's actions of adding and influencing buffer states with communist ideas, they get the higher blame because this was something that the US did not want to happen because they did not believe in communistic actions. However, the USSR was using it as more of a security interest to have more allies and back up.

2. I think the Berlin blockade was the most significant action in the Cold war because the Soviets really took it to the next level. The US wanted a more peaceful approach to the conflicts with Berlin, but the soviets decided to withdraw the railroads and completely leave west Berlin on their own.]]> 2020-03-27 16:17:57 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478744718 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478877498 i1. I would give 60% of blame to the USSR and 40% blame to the US. The USSR was really trying to spread it's communist influence to other countries, but this was also just because they wanted to be safe from Germany. But the US also could have been less hostile to the USSR by not directly going against their policies and trying to reach an agreement and help them instead. 

2. I believe that the containment doctrine was most significant in creating tension because it directly prevented the USSR from reaching their goal of expansion. USSR could not gain anything without spreading their influence and the US stopped that from happening. ]]> 2020-03-27 17:24:35 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/478877498 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479007850 1. I would give 65% percent of the blame to the USSR and 35% of the blame to the US. The USSR was controlling and taking over other nations governments so that they could have allies against the West. This shows that they were very aggressive and that they were causing a lot of division and conflict in Europe. 

2.I believe that the creation of NATO was the event that caused the most tension because it was an alliance of powerful western countries that would fight against the USSR. This would scare the eastern bloc and would cause increased tension because it shows the anger towards the other side.]]> 2020-03-27 18:43:36 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479007850 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479008154 1.) I would put the blame equally, giving both the US and the USSR 50%. Regarding the USSR, their whole purpose for fighting was the need for protection and security. After the issues they had with Germany invading them, Stalin felt it was necessary to have sphere of influence where they had friendly and safe countries surrounding and reassuring them. The US fought for what their entire nation is based on-democracy. They felt it was their place to stick up and fight for these smaller countries that might be oppressed by a big world power like the Soviet Union. They fought for free elections in these areas, which ultimately led to conflicting and opposing ideas about the future of Europe. 
2.) I think Marshall Plan was the event that caused the most tension between the US and USSR. At the meeting, the US offered the same aid to the Soviet Union and its allies, if they would accept political reforms and outside controls. The USSR was infuriated by this proposition and denounced it as another capitalist trick. They walked out of this meeting and didn’t accept the offer. This plan turned out to be a huge success for the US and a major defeat for the Soviets, as communist parties in Italy and France lost ground. 

]]> 2020-03-27 18:43:49 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479008154 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479012044 1. I would give both the United States and the Soviet Union 50% of the blame because they were impacted by Germany in completely different ways which caused them to feel differently about the situation. Also, the USSR and the United States both made decisions and/or acted in ways that sort of provoked the other which created more tension between them. 
2. I believe the Yalta Conference was most significant in leading to an increase in tension in the Cold War because the Big Three weren't necessarily coming up with a plan to create peace at this conference as much as they were sketching general intentions and testing one another's reactions. Both nations sort of tried to prove their dominance at this conference and tried to limit the other nation in regards to what they would be in control of. ]]> 2020-03-27 18:46:28 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479012044 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479064205 I believe that their was about a 50/50 blame for the two nations because they both were willing to ignore nations request to spread their ideology. The Us was obviously threatening russia with its massive military power and atomic bombs. At the same time the soviet union went overboard and consumed countries at an unecessary rate in order to establish a seurity zone and just to spread their influence. Both nations chose to spend millions expanding instead of engage in diplomatic agreemengts. ]]> 2020-03-27 19:28:29 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479064205 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479118738 1.) I would have to put the blame at 40% US and 60% the USSR. This is due to the fact that although the US had been increasing its military and economic power around the world, it was really trying to help stop the spread of communism and the sphere of influence of the USSR. Plus, the USSR had essentially taken over all of Eastern Europe as a buffer zone between the mainland Russia and Germany. This sort of action caused a lot of tension and division in Eastern Europe.
2.) I feel like the Berlin Airlift was the most significant action during this time. This is because the US flew planes directly over Soviet-occupied East Germany after the Soviets had closed off all roads, canals, waterways, etc. into the city. So, by flying planes directly over the Soviets, it showed that the US was willing to do anything to make sure that those who needed help would get help even if that meant the possibility of losing aircraft and men and starting a direct conflict once more.]]> 2020-03-27 20:15:59 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479118738 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479209819 1. I would have put blame at 55% USSR and 45% USA because initially it was ideological difference that divided the two powers. I can see many of the Soviet actions justified by wanting to protect itself from another attack especially since the US after the war was so economically and infrastructurally powerful while a large portion of the USSR was destroyed during the war.  Though I don't believe self protection justifies the subjugation  of your neighbors which would only create more tensions with the West.
2. The most tension causing action of the Cold War in my opinion is the Berlin Airlift because while most of the previous actions of the USSR were for its own self protection and out of fear of the West, blockading Berlin is a deliberate act of aggression that does nothing but antagonist those they're protecting themselves from. ]]> 2020-03-27 21:51:51 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479209819 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479266479 1. I would give both the US and and USSR around a 50% blame. Neither tried to better relations between the two, both pushed their own beliefs. The USSR's sphere of influence grew their power greatly, while the US was threatening due to their new economic and military strength from WWII.

2. I think the Containment Doctrine caused the most tension. It was created so the US could limit the power and influence of the Soviets, hurting their ability to grow. This direct of an attack shows how much the US was willing to do to prevent the USSR from growing.]]> 2020-03-27 23:24:48 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479266479 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479332970 1) I would place the blame at about 50% to both sides. Both the US and the USSR were just following their ideologies and trying to do what they believed best for their countries. The USSR was doing what they thought they needed to for safety, and the US was doing what they thought was right by trying to have the countries make their own decision not based on the USSR 

2) I believe that the most significant thing that lead to the Cold War was the surrounding countries in the USSR's field of influence. This is because without the disagreement over what to do with these countries, none of the other actions would have taken place. The disagreement over what to do with these countries led to all these other things that increased tensions and then eventually led to the Cold War]]> 2020-03-28 02:20:06 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/479332970 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/488664112 1. I would blame the USSR 60% and the U.S 40% because although their justification of security is plausible the fact that they agreed that the freed territories would be allowed to be democracies at the Yalta Conference makes them breaking their word and inherently puts them in the wrong instigating the conflict
2. The most significant action that I feel pushed both nations closer to war was the Berlin Airlift because it showed both sides ability and willingness to mobilize troops and showed a genuine physical interaction between both sides and a possibility for direct conflict which could have started a war in a matter of seconds.]]> 2020-04-02 11:28:48 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/488664112 8033596 https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/505383874 1. I would split the fault for the beginning of the Cold War evenly 50% each. I believe that both countries had very strong ideologies and beliefs that they were sticking to. ]]> 2020-04-13 23:26:35 UTC https://padlet.com/michael_zernone/q633m69xx71m/wish/505383874