Each side feared the other's system, so steps one side took for safety looked like threats to the other.
An ideology is a set of ideas about how society should work. The USA backed capitalism, where people and firms own businesses and trade for profit. It also backed free elections with rival parties. In Soviet communism, the state owned most of the economy and one party held power.
Security fears made this worse. The USSR had been invaded from the west, so it wanted friendly governments on its borders. The West feared Soviet control would stop people choosing their own governments. Soviet leaders saw US aid and bases as a plan to surround them.
This is a security dilemma. One side takes a step to feel safer. The other side feels threatened and responds. Understanding a fear does not make the action right.
- Capitalism
- Private ownership, trade for profit, rival parties.
- Communism
- State ownership and one-party rule.
- Security dilemma
- One side's safety step frightens the other side.
Worked example: Why control of Poland caused alarm
Follow one action from Soviet aims to Western fears.
- The USSR wants a friendly Poland, since invaders came that way.
- It backs communist control and limits opponents, so Poles cannot choose freely.
- The West sees expansion and resists, which makes the USSR more suspicious.
Watch out for this
If Soviet leaders feared invasion, their control of neighbours was simply defensive.
The fear was real, but controlling neighbours also took away those people's freedom to choose.
Check your understanding
What is a security dilemma?
- When one side's move to feel safer makes the other side feel threatened.
- When two sides agree to disarm together.
- When a country has no army to defend itself.