Expert: Michel Cahier - 2/15/2009

Question
hi tom

could you please tell me if you think the US policy of containemnt was based on a misinterpretation of soviets aims and ambitions?

i would just like a few points on why it was a misinterpretaion.

thanks

Answer
Although I am rather an expert on the Nazi era I have some views concerning  your question. I do think that the US policy was inspired by a deep knowledge of the history of Communism, particularly of the International Communist whose purpose was to spread Communism all over the world because the fathers of communism in Russia were convinced that Socialism could succeed only if it was spread to other capitalist countries and to the world at large.
Before WW2 the spoil of  Poland between the Nazis and the Communists clearly showed that Russian Communists aimed at  imposing their ideology upon democratic and backward countries like Poland, most of Central Europe and Greece.
After the War, the division of Germany between the Allies also showed that the Communists had territorial ambitions over the most industrialized countries of Europe. In France, at the Liberation, the Communist Party took over and share the Government of the country with the consent of the Gaullists and it was obvious to the  US policy makers that they would do whatever they could to topple the Gaullists and govern alone. Fortunately De Gaulle got rid of them because he knew exactly what they were after : total control of the economy.
In Greece after WW2 there was a serious civil war between the Communists and the non communists for power and the non Communists won only with the  help of the Allies.
In conclusion, those who think that the US policy was based on a misinterpretation of soviet aims understood nothing to the  history of the 20th century and to the goals of the International Communist. The final  goal was to impose all over the dictatorship of the proletariat.