Geoffrey, Not that I agree with the method Stalin used to create his buffer zone, I do understand the reasoning behind it. I do agree with you that he was not the sole party responsible for the Cold War, much of the fault if not an equal amount lies on our shoulders as well. I believe the fear that set in for the creation of the “firebreak”, as you referred to it as, could have been analyzed in more depth. One reason for this would have been the way Stalin handle the Yugoslavia’s resistance to bow down to the Russia’s will. The president of Yugoslavia during this time, Josip Broz or “Comrade Tito”, as he was known and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia refused to completely comply with Stalin’s ideas and often criticized his decisions. This
This aggressive approach to foreign policy stirred fear in the Soviet Union, thus contributing greatly to the Second Cold War
There are three competing theories of the causes of the Cold War; the traditional theory, the liberal theory, and the ideological theory. In all three theories lie causes that could have equally contributed to the conflict, but only one is more convincing than the others. The traditional theory says that communists were at fault for the conflict. Communists, specifically Stalin, wanted more control and thus used his political ideology as a means to achieve his desires. Expansionism is a commonly mentioned aspect related the idea of the traditional theory.