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原題目題號：DSE-2014-Essay-05
「冷戰是蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應，而非美國對蘇聯的挑戰作出回應。」評論此說能否成立。
背景冷戰是以美國及蘇聯為首的資本主義和共產主義陣營之間的相互鬥爭，雙方互相回應對方的挑戰，促使雙方的關係惡化，形成冷戰的出現及發展。 // 架構在外交、經濟及軍事方面能夠反映出蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應，同時，政治、地區性戰爭、太空科技上也能顯示美國對蘇聯之挑戰作出回應。 // 立場因此，題目所言只能在部分程度上成立。
主旨句 外交上，多次危機的爆發是蘇聯對美國挑戰作出的回應的代表例子。 // 贊成核心A的理據冷戰期間，美國積極圍堵共產主義的擴張，成為蘇聯所面對的挑戰。蘇聯更因為需要應對美國所帶來的挑戰而作出對抗的手段，致使危機頻生，如1948年當美、英、法有意合併其於西德的佔領區，並於合併後進行政治及貨幣改革，結果令蘇聯擔心西方國家的行動會影響其對於東德的管治，因此封鎖西柏林，導致「柏林危機」的出現。往後，美國對蘇聯的圍堵行動持續，如1959年起開始於意大利及土耳其佈置導彈以針對蘇聯，蘇聯為了應對美國對其國防帶來的威脅，因此於1962年試圖在古巴建立導彈基地，以制衡美國的導彈佈署，最終促使了「古巴導彈危機」的爆發。 // 小結可見，多次危機的出現反映了蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應。
經濟上，從蘇聯對東歐的經濟援助也能夠反映蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應。美國於二次大戰後成為全球最富裕的國家，工業生產佔了全球的三分之一。為了遏止共產主義的擴張，美國不惜大量借貸予其他國家，以推動各地的經濟復甦，如1948年推出馬歇爾計劃，提供130億美元的經濟援助予歐洲國家。然而，美國馬歇爾計劃的提出對東歐的共產主義國家產生一定的吸引力，令蘇聯對東歐國家的管治產生挑戰。因此，蘇聯於馬歇爾計劃的討論階段就與東歐國家簽訂一連串貿易和經濟協定，合稱「莫洛托夫計劃」(1947年)，以避免東歐國家對蘇聯的統治出現離心。及後，更於1949年成立經濟互助委員會以承接莫洛托夫計劃，加強對東歐國家的經濟控制，抗衡以美國為首的西歐經濟合作。可見，蘇聯對東歐的經濟援助充分顯示了蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應。
軍事上，蘇聯積極發展核武器及成立軍事組織是對美國的挑戰所作出的回應。於二次大戰後期，美國成功研發出原子彈，並利用原子彈而迫使日本無條件投降。美國的核武使蘇聯深感恐懼，擔心美國會利用核武對付自己。因此，蘇聯大力研發核武，成功於1949年試爆原子彈，成為繼美國後第二個擁有核武的國家。及後，當美國於1952年成功研製氫氣彈，蘇聯也作出回應，加緊研發，並於1953年宣佈成功試爆。及後，至1980年代，蘇聯為回應美國的「星戰計劃」(1983年)，更大肆增加國防開支至1985年的12%之高，此等均反映了蘇聯一直甚為擔憂美國在軍事方面的挑戰，並且積極地作出回應。此外，美國早於1949年成立了北約，以防北大西洋附近的國家受到蘇聯共產主義的赤化，至1955年西德加入北約時，蘇聯就成立華沙公約組織以作出回應，對抗以美國為首的北約。可見，蘇聯在軍事方面積極回應美國帶來的挑戰。
雖然從外交、經濟、軍事方面可見蘇聯對美國的挑戰作出回應，但另一方面，從政治、軍事及太空科技上則可見美國對蘇聯之回應。
主旨句 政治上，美國總統發表的各種主義充分反映了美國對蘇聯挑戰所作出的回應。 // 反對核心B的理據 就著蘇聯不斷擴張共產主義，多位美國總統於冷戰期間發表了著名的演說及國情諮文，提出各種主張，以回應蘇聯的挑戰。其中，為回應蘇聯支援希臘及土耳其共產主義派別的發展，美國總統杜魯門於1947年發表了「杜魯門主義」，表明美國需要擔當「世界警察」，並提供4億美元援助希臘及土耳其對抗共產主義，以遏止蘇聯共產主義勢力的擴張。往後，蘇聯於1979年入侵阿富汗時，美國總統卡特也發表了「卡特主義」(1980年)，強調美國將會以軍事力量擊退任何意圖控制波斯灣地區的外來勢力，並且於同年杯葛蘇聯舉行的莫斯科奧運會，以回應蘇聯入侵阿富汗。 // 小結可見，美國總統於冷戰期間發表了各種主義以回應蘇聯的挑戰。
地區性戰爭上，美國介入世界各地的戰爭也能反映美國對蘇聯的挑戰作出回應。冷戰期間，蘇聯不斷支援世界各地的共產主義發展，包括將二次大戰後將所繳獲的日軍武器交予中國共產黨、留下軍事顧問在朝鮮以協助制定戰略、於1955-62年間提供14億盧布的經濟援助予北越等，使各地的共產主義派別更趨激進，最終爆發中國內戰、韓戰及越戰等地區性戰爭。為防止共產主義的派別在蘇聯的支援下取得勝利，美國積極介入以對抗幕後的蘇聯勢力，包括於國共內戰時提供大量物資援助國民黨，並且於韓戰時透過聯合國派軍協助南韓，其後的越戰更是美國於二次大戰後派兵參戰人數最多的一次戰爭，藉物資及軍事上的援助以回應蘇聯支援各地共產主義派系所帶來的挑戰。可見，美國對地區性戰爭的介入充分反映了美國對蘇聯的挑戰作出了回應。
太空科技上，從美國積極發展太空科技也能反映美國對蘇聯挑戰的回應。雖然在核武備上美國取得了顯著的優勢，然而，在太空科技上蘇聯反取得了領先。由於太空科技涉及火箭技術，與導彈的射程有著密切的關係，因此美國需要積極研發，以應對蘇聯在太空科技領先所帶來的挑戰。例如，當蘇聯於1957年成功試射首顆人造衛星後，美國亦緊隨其後，於1958年成功發射人造衛星。及後，蘇聯大力研發登月工程及載人太空船計劃，分別於1959年進行了首次在月球的硬著陸和於1961年成功完成首次載人航天飛行，美國也不遑多讓，從1961年10月起開展「阿波羅計劃」，以載人登月為目標，最終於1969年成功登陸月球，在人類登月上成功超越了蘇聯。可見，美國在太空科技上不斷回應蘇聯所帶來的挑戰。
總括而言，冷戰的其中特徵絕非單單是美國回應蘇聯的挑戰，抑或是蘇聯回應美國之挑戰，而是美、蘇兩大陣營之間互相抗衡和爭鬥，故題目所言只能在部分程度上成立。
‘The Cold War was Soviet response to American challenges but not American response to Soviet challenges.’ Comment on the validity of this statement.
The Cold War was a struggle between the capitalist bloc led by the US and communist bloc led by the USSR. Both sides responded to each other's challenge, which worsened their relationship, resulting in the Cold War. The USSR responded to the US challenges in diplomatic, economic and military aspects. Meanwhile, the US responded to the USSR challenges in political, local war and space technological aspects. Thus, this statement is valid to a certain extent.
In diplomatic aspect, several crises broke out, which showed that the USSR responded to the US challenges. During the Cold War, the US actively contained the communist expansion, which was one of the challenges of the USSR. The USSR thus carried out confrontation so as to deal with the US challenges, leading to crises. For instance, the US, Britain and France decided to unify their Western German occupied zones and carried out political and currency reforms. The USSR worried that the action of Western countries would affect its ruling over Eastern Germany. Thus, it blocked West Berlin, which led to the Berlin Crisis柏林危機. Later, the containment policy imposed by the US continued such as the US missiles, which targeted the USSR, deployed in Italy意大利 and Turkey土耳其 since 1959. In order to deal with the defensive threat, the USSR attempted to set up nuclear missile bases in Cuba (1962) to counter the US missile deployment, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis古巴導彈危機. Thus, several crises broke out, which reflected that the USSR responded to the US challenges.
In economic aspect, the USSR provided economic assistance to Eastern Europe in response to the US challenges. The US became the most affluent country in the world and accounted for one-third world industrial production. In order to contain the communist expansion, the US loaned to other countries, driving economic recovery around the world. For example, the US implemented the Marshall Plan馬歇爾計劃(1948) offering a loan of 13 billion to assist European countries. However, the Marshall Plan imposed by the USS was attractive to Eastern European communist countries, bringing challenge to the USSR regarding the ruling over Eastern European countries. When the Marshall Plan was under discussion, the USSR signed a series of trade and economic agreements, which called the Molotov Plan莫洛托夫計劃(1947), in order to avoid drawing Eastern European countries from the USSR. Later, the USSR established the COMECON經濟互助委員會(1949) to undertake the Molotov Plan and tighten economic control on Eastern Europe, confronting the economic cooperation of Western Europe led by the US. Thus, the USSR provided economic assistance to Eastern Europe in response to the US challenges.
In military aspect, the USSR actively developed nuclear weapons and formed military organization in response to the US challenges. In the later stage of WW2, the US successfully invented atomic bombs原子彈 forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally. The nuclear weapons of the US aroused the Soviet suspicion that it would be attacked by its atomic bombs. Thus, the USSR actively invented nuclear weapons and successfully tested atomic bomb (1949). It became the second country to possess nuclear weapons after the US. Later, the US produced a hydrogen bomb氫氣彈(1952). The USSR accelerated research and development in response to it and successfully tested as well in 1953. Moreover, the USSR increased its expenditure of national defense to 12% (1985) in order to respond to Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)星戰計劃(1983). It reflected that the USSR was afraid of the US challenges in military aspect, thus actively responding to it. Furthermore, the US formed the NATO北約(1949) to avoid countries in North Atlantic being communized. Until West Germany joined the NATO in 1955, the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact華沙公約組織 in response to it, confronting the NATO led by the US. It showed that the USSR actively responded to the US challenges in military aspect.
The USSR responded to the US challenges in diplomatic, economic and military aspects. Meanwhile, the US responded to the USSR challenges in political, local war and space technological aspects.
In political aspect, the US president announced several doctrines in response to the USSR challenges. Since the USSR spread communism continuously, a number of the US president delivered well-known speeches and State of the Union address國情諮文 proposing different suggestions to responded to the USSR challenges. In response to the Soviet assistance of communist groups of Greece and Turkey, the US president Truman announced the Truman Doctrine杜魯門主義(1947), which stated that the US had to take the role of International Police世界警察. It provided US$400 million assisting Greece希臘and Turkey土耳其 to confront communism, suppressing the expansion of Soviet communism. Regarding the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan阿富汗(1979), the US president Carter announced the Carter Doctrine卡特主義(1980), which stated that the US would repel any foreign force trying to control the Persian Gulf region波斯灣地區. Also, it boycotted the Moscow Olympic held by the USSR in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It showed that the US president announced several in response to the US challenges.
In local war aspect, the US intervened in local wars around the world in response to the USSR challenges. During the Cold War, the USSR supported communist development around the world. For example, it seized Japanese military weapons after WW2 and gave them to the CCP中國共產黨. It left military advisers in Korea朝鮮 to help formulating military strategies and offered 1.4 billion rubles to economically assist North Vietnam北越 during 1955-62. The communist groups turned radical, causing local wars such as the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. In order to prevent communist groups from gaining victories because of the support of the USSR, the US actively intervened in to confront the USSR. For example, it provided a lot of resources to assist the KMT in the Chinese Civil War and sent troops to assist South Korea through the UN in the Korean War. Especially, the number of the US soldiers involving in the Vietnam War was unprecedented after WW2. Since the USSR supported communist groups around the world, the US responded to its challenges by resource and military assistance. The US intervened in local wars in response to the USSR challenges.
In space technological aspect, the US actively invented space technology in response to the USSR challenges. Although the US achieved a significant advantage regarding nuclear weapon, the USSR led in space technology then. Space technology was closely related to rocket technology, thus relating to the range of missiles as well. Thus, the US had to carry out research and development in response to the USSR challenges with regard to space technology. For example, when the USSR successfully launched a first artificial satellite人造衛星(1957), the US followed in 1958. Later, the USSR made a research on Moon Project登月工程 and Manned Spacecraft Program載人太空船計劃 and carried out the first moon's hard landing (1959) and manned space flight (1961). The US also developed the Apollo Project阿波羅計劃 in October 1961, which aimed at manned moon landing. In the end, it successfully landed on moon in 1969, which surpassed the USSR regarding manned moon landing. It showed that the US responded to the USSR challenges in space technological aspect.
In conclusion, a characteristic of the Cold War (1946-91) was not merely the USSR response to the US challenges or the US response to the USSR challenges. Both the US and the USSR confronted and combated towards others. Thus, this statement is valid to a certain extent.
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