Early Diplomatic Relations
And their contributions to prevalent and heightened tensions
GBR, You had ONE job...
US, you da real mvp
On the strait and narrow
Following WWII, Britain had some major rebuilding to do on the domestic front, causing economic strife. Despite having promised to protect Turkish sovereignty, they could not follow through because they just didn't have the resources.
The Soviet Union saw this as a golden opportunity and so asked Turkey for complete and free access to the Turkish Straits. Turkey did not want to do this because that would mean forfeiting soveriengty and they did not want to do that, but denying the Soviets could lead to the Red Army moving in. Turkey was stuck in a pickle and it was not delicious at all.
The British pressured the US to get involved, and so they decide to send a naval task force and state they're gonna back the Turkish government who then rejects the USSR proposal. Stalin immediately gave up the proposal cold Turkey because he was not willing to start WWIII over the straits.
This is one of the first examples of the US having to get into conflict with the USSR. Because the US is a world superpower, it had to get more involved in world affairs than it used to. Unfortunately, butting heads with the Soviet Union obviously would lead to heightened tensions.
oil vey
This is yet another example of this US resolving conflict directly. The US had to get involved again against the USSR. No doubt at this point things were becoming tense between the two nations.
it's all greek (civil war) to me
it's Tru man, we will fight communism
what does all this mean?
The Cold War as we are familiar with arose from the early diplomatic tensions between the two superpowers: the USSR and the US (who was still adjusting to it's new superpower status).