IB HL History Cold War Historiography

Orthodox Historians

orthodox historians holds that the Soviet Union was responsible for the Cold War. This was the position taken by historians writing in the 1950s and early 1960s. It states that the Soviets were inevitably expansionist, due to their suspicion of the West, and in accordance with their Marxist theory, which advocated the need to spread revolution throughout the world. In this interpretation, the United States had to act defensively, from the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan to the establishment of NATO.

Revisionist

the alternative perspective, which flourished when the consensus over foreign policy in the United States was crumbling during the Vietnam War, held the USA responsible for the Cold War. Revisionists see the motives behind U.S. foreign policy as inherently linked to the needs of Capitalism. Thus, containment of Communism was driven by the requirement to secure markets and free trade, and penetrate Eastern Europe.

Post - Revisionist:

"neither side can bear sole responsibility for the onset of the Cold War"

You can’t blame either side as they both are equally responsible for the damage

Daniel Yergin (USA, Orthodox)

argues that USSR's totalitarianism caused their 'need' for world domination. Blames USSR for start of Cold War as they wanted global communist spread.

. A.J.P Taylor (UK, revisionist)

 blames the US due to its usage of nuclear bomb that threatened USSR

Wen-Qing Ngoei Vietnam and Malaya

assistant professor of history at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He completed his PhD in US foreign relations at Northwestern University. His book, Arc of Containment: Britain, the United States, and Anticommunism in Southeast Asia (Cornell Univ. Press, 2019), examines how British decolonization intertwined with Southeast Asian anticommunism to shape US policy in the wider region. For more information, visit his website.

Frances FitzGerald:

Emphasizes the role of media coverage in turning public opinion against the war, which significantly limited the US government's ability to sustain military operations.

• 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties

• British: 1,442 British personnel died

David Anderson (Vientam War)

Criticizes the corruption and instability of the South Vietnamese government, which eroded public support for the regime and made it difficult to mobilize the population against the communist forces

Lewis Sorley (Vientam War)

Highlights the difficulties of fighting a guerilla insurgency in Vietnam's terrain, where the Viet Cong effectively used hit-and-run tactics and blended into the civilian population.

domino theory

a geopolitical theory that states that political changes in one country can spread to neighboring countries. It was a key part of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.

Bruce Cumings (Korean War)

• "A divided Korea was something unprecedented. Fundamentally, it was a civil war, fought over issues going back into Korea's colonial experience."

• "The North Koreans see the American bombing as a Holocaust, and every child is taught about it." 

McNamara’s misperception (vietnam war)

“Like most Americans, I saw communism as monolithic,” reflecting Cold War-era misunderstandings of Vietnamese nationalism

Anthony Short and Richard Stubbs (Malayan Emergancy)

• The Briggs Plan’s resettlement of 500,000 Chinese squatters “ensured that most Malays opposed the revolt,” weakening MNLA support2.

• Stalemate narrative: Their works argue the conflict remained unresolved until 1951, when British tactics shifted toward isolating guerrillas

Gaddis (Post-revisionist, USA)

both responsible

David H. Hackworth (vietnam war)

- A prominent military officer and historian, Hackworth emphasized that conventional military strategies were inadequate against guerrilla warfare. He argued that to defeat the Viet Cong effectively, U.S. forces needed to adopt guerrilla tactics themselves, focusing on stealth and adaptability in combat situations