The Cold War Wasn't Supposed to Happen

So my generation probably remembers the Cold War as the chapter at the back of the history textbook that we never had enough time to learn about in any detail. But we know the long and short of it: America and the USSR pretended to like each other just long enough to give Germany a good whooping, and then they both held the world hostage with the threat of thermonuclear armageddon. But as inevitable as it may seem, having a Cold War wasn’t part of the plan. As a matter of fact, hopes were very high that the rest of the century was going to be nothing but roses.

After all, with the Axis in ruins, and, well, with most of Europe in ruins too, the Allies were looking at a clean slate. Fascism was gone (mostly), and while capitalism and communism were radically different, in theory both the USA and USSR were opposed to the militarism and expansionism that had driven the Germans to war, and they had the opportunity to quite literally create a new world order, to change the rules to make the world a safer place. That’s what they wanted to do. The problem, of course, is that their ideas of peace looked very different.

Music (in order of appearance):
Glenn Miller - In the Mood
Kevin Macleod - Hidden Past
Raid Influencer Music
Kevin Macleod - I Got a Stick
Kevin Macleod - Enter the Party
Remstunes - Bebop Jazz Rocker
Kevin Macleod - As I Figure
Albert Genen - Sousa in Swing

Disclaimer: Raid: Shadow Legends “Raidyard” Promotion. Entry is Open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia, EXCLUDING NEW YORK AND FLORIDA, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who are 18 years or older.

[lazarpetrovic]

Yugoslavia was not part of the Eastern bloc. It was the issue of Greece(and Tito's desire for independence from Moscow and the informbiro) that led to the Tito-Stalin conflict, until Stalin's death Yugoslavia cooperated with the West and was in its own little cold war with Stalin.(I felt the need to say this because the video gives the impression that Yugoslavia was a Soviet satellite)

[TheTrueAdept]

Actually, France almost didn't get the Marshal Plan money... because France wanted to keep its empire. Hell, the current Republic was basically installed via a military coup.

[SeruraRenge]

The League of Nations failed where the UN didn't specifically BECAUSE the LoN tried to have the power to supercede national sovereignty. As a result...no one really wanted to buy into it in case that power got wielded against them. When the UN said from day 1 "yeah we can't really do anything beyond giving you a harsh recommendation to knock it off", people warmed up to it as an institution.

[deathmourne]

Mt grandfather was a pilot on plane #45 as he told me during the Berlin Airlift! He told me how nerve wracking it was because they could see soviet planes and air defenses pointing at them the whole time

[bazzfromthebackground]

"So buried in quote[s] it began to look like razor wire."

Damn this line is genius. I'm stealing.

[GamerXX]

"You can't leave, the doors are locked."

Jack knew exactly how to handle a raid sponsorship. Be funny, don't be overhyped, and say Doom Tower in a silly voice.

[emptank]

Stalin: watchya gonna do? Just endlessly fly supplies into the city?
Truman: you know we own Boeing right?
Stalinv fuck! I forgot they own Boeing.

[Catmint]

I think I’m a little younger than Jack, cause growing up we did manage to get to the Cold War but I was always left asking “so why does everybody always seem so concerned about Serbia”

[Phoenix-MX]

Churchill constantly planning an invasion of the USSR didn't help with Stalins paranoia. Stalin distrusted the west because he feared they would attempt an attack, and well, he wasn't totally wrong, at least with Winston.

[gawkthimm]

the first Cold war conflict of goals between the Soviets and the west took a turn for the worse when in 1944 when the Polish Warsaw uprising against the Nazi's was disowned by Stalin and refused help, when Stalin refused to cooperate with the Polish government in exile in London.

[thegnwigeberht]

10:02
Despite all the bravado, sabre-rattling, and loudspeakers, this is how both sides sounded for nearly 50 years.

[lukaswilhelm]

Ah yes, the good 'ol classic "i have different kind of peace than yours so let's start a war". Happens very often in history.

[prettypic]

Okay, but i would TOTALLY watch a UN security council themed cop show

[julianshepherd]

Churchill never trusted Stalin or stopped seeing Russia as Britain's Great Game opponent.

[misterperson]

Its worth noting the US wasnt just the most industrialised country on earth whos industry had gone unmolested during the war, they also had drained the coffers of a lot of its future allies during the cash and carry portion of involvement.

The marshall plan went beyond just giving it back but had they not dumped big ol piles of capital back into European economies they would likely have been very dysfunctional from having no cash/gold reserves AND being bombed to rubble. It was equal parts a bribe to stay in the US sphere of influence as it was training wheels for their economies.

The reasoning being that if their economies were failing and uncertainty ruled the communists would have much more support than if economies were booming and people felt like their lives were getting better.

[robmclean]

As a 70s kid, it seemed our history teachers would say, "And then we dropped the bomb on Japan! Have a great summer...!"

[greenoftreeblackofblue]

Yet I doubt it would of gone any other way.

[ethribin]

"During the war, people were hopefull the rest of the century would be nothing but roses"
I mean, they nearly got it right.
It just took half a century longer then they though.

Aka 1-2 generations.
Which is about the normal amount of time for a society to fully adapt to a new situation.

[heck]

"You can't leave the doors are locked" on the Raid Shadow Legends ad feels like a cry for help with a year of hindsight.

That game was 100% marketing but I'm glad you got the bread when you could. You deserve it.

[radkamerad]

Why are you showing Roosevelt on the thumbnail? He didn't see the Cold War. He didn't even live enough to see the fall of Berlin