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意識形態的差異對於冷戰的出現有多大重要性？
定義 意識形態指某一單位﹑團體﹑組織或國家具有共同的思想﹑認識等，共同的觀念主導了其價值和利益取向。 // 立場及架構於冷戰時期，大致上可分為資本主義與共產主義兩大意識形態，而上述兩種意識形態於政治﹑經濟及社會方面的差異就成為冷戰出現的主因，重要性高於其他因素。
主旨句 政治方面意識形態的差異導致雙方出現分歧，以致冷戰出現。 // 標準由於資本主義的美、英等國奉行多黨制，認為權力屬於人民，而共產主義的蘇聯則主張一黨專政，認為權力屬於黨所有，故兩大陣營存有必然的矛盾，以致冷戰出現。 // 主項重要性因此，於處理二戰後的議題上，雙方出現重大的分歧，如在波蘭問題上，美、英等國主張波蘭舉行自由選舉，以人民投票的方式決定新波蘭去向；蘇聯則反對選舉方式，以保持共產黨在波蘭的勢力。最終，政治意識形態的差異使雙方希望擴大己方的勢力，以保障己方陣營的安穩，如中國內戰中(1946-49)，蘇聯支持中國共產黨，而美、英則支持國民黨，令兩大陣營形成對抗的狀態，冷戰也因此而起。 // 小結可見，政治方面的意識形態差異使雙方出現分歧，更形成對立局面，導致冷戰出現。
經濟方面意識形態的差異使雙方對立，導致冷戰出現。經濟方面，資本主義主張自由經濟，以及支持財產私有制，相反，共產主義則實施計劃經濟，而且認為財產應收歸國有。因此，美、英等資本主義國家與蘇聯等共產主義對於經濟方面已存有明顯的分歧，此等的分歧更惡化雙方的關係，使冷戰出現，因美、英等國恐懼共產主義的擴張會破壞資本主義的自由世界市場，最終使自己也無法置之度外，故積極抗衡共產主義的傳播，如美國於1947年提出「馬歇爾計劃」，提供130億美元支援歐洲國家。及後，蘇聯為對抗「馬歇爾計劃」，亦提出「莫洛托夫計劃」(1947年)以振興東歐經濟。結果，經濟方面的意識形態差異導致了歐洲經濟分裂成為資本主義與共產主義兩大陣營，互相抗衡，互不接觸，形成了冷戰的局面。可見，經濟方面的意識形態分歧使雙方關係惡化，終使冷戰出現。
社會方面意識形態的差異減少了雙方的接觸，以致冷戰的出現。資本主義國家重視個人自由，反之，共產主義國家則認為社會穩定較個人自由重要。因此，共產主義的蘇聯為防止資本主義的自由思想傳至東歐，於戰後中斷了東歐與西歐之間的所有交通﹑通訊和貿易，並沿著衛星國邊界裝上一道有刺的鐵絲網，使自由思想不會擴散至東歐。最終，蘇聯的阻隔行動導致了西方國家的不滿，英國首相邱吉爾更於1946年發表「鐵幕演說」，譴責蘇聯中斷東﹑西歐的接觸，並要求美國聯手對抗共產蘇聯，拉開了冷戰的序幕。因此，社會方面的意識形態差異不但減少了雙方的接觸，更導致關係惡化，促使冷戰出現。
縱然有其他導致冷戰出現的原因，如雙方的互不信任﹑美蘇勢力膨脹的後果和處理戰後問題的分歧，但重要性不及意識形態的差異。
主旨句 其一，美、蘇兩國的互不信任也是導致冷戰出現的其中原因。 // 他項重要性美﹑蘇兩國互相猜忌，因美﹑蘇於二次大戰中崛起成為超級強國，蘇聯成為東歐霸主，控制了東歐的衛星國，令美國有所顧忌。同時，美國成功研發原子彈更使蘇聯猜忌，因蘇聯深恐美國會利用原子彈對付自己。因此，雙方互相猜忌，終導致對立和冷戰的出現。
主旨句 然而，就因果關係，雙方的互不信任植根於意識形態的差異，重要性較小。 // 駁論由於資本主義的美﹑英等國恐懼蘇聯共產主義的擴張，故試圖壓抑蘇聯的勢力，如於1945年波茨坦會議上，美﹑英聯手減低蘇聯於制訂對日政策的影響力，以防止共產主義的蔓延，最終蘇聯猜忌美﹑英，使雙方互不相信。 // 小結因此，意識形態的差異才是冷戰出現的根本因素。
其二，美、蘇兩國的勢力膨脹也導致了冷戰的出現。美﹑蘇兩國於大戰後勢力迅速膨脹，成為超級強國。美國擁有強大的經濟及軍事實力，而蘇聯坐擁600萬軍隊，並且有2萬架戰機及5萬輛坦克，軍事實力能與美國一較高下。因此，雙方均認為對方意圖支配世界，故敵意﹑猜忌日增，於政治勢力﹑軍備及經濟上均進行競賽，爭奪世界元首的寶座，終導致了冷戰的出現。
然而，意識形態的分歧較勢力膨脹的後果重要。因就冷戰的廣泛性而言，冷戰並非單單是美﹑蘇雙方的對峙，而是資本主義陣營與共產主義陣營之間的抗衡，兩大陣營主要是以意識形態劃分出來，共產主義集團的蘇聯﹑波蘭﹑東德等；資本主義集團的美國﹑英國﹑日本等。因此，意識形態才是導致冷戰出現的主因。
其三，處理戰後問題的分歧導致了冷戰的出現。二次大戰後期，美﹑英和蘇聯於討論戰後安排上出現分歧，如於佔領日本的決策上，蘇聯希望參與以擴大自己於遠東的影響力，但美﹑英則恐懼蘇聯的擴張而極力反對。因此，戰後問題的歧見就成為兩大陣營關係惡化的催化劑，終釀成冷戰。
然而，就因果關係，意識形態的差異導致雙方於處理戰後問題上出現分歧，故重要性較小。因資本主義的美﹑英等國恐懼蘇聯共產主義的擴張，而蘇聯則希望藉此擴大勢力，故於處理戰後問題時，雙方出現分歧，如討論曾被納粹德國統治過的國家時，美﹑英主張以自由選舉的民主方式選出新政府，但蘇聯則反對自由選舉，以避免波蘭共產黨失勢，終導致雙方於處理戰後問題上出現分歧。因此，意識形態差異才是冷戰出現的主因。
總括而言，意識形態是冷戰出現的最主要因素，其他原因的重要性並不及之。
How important was ideological difference in causing the Cold War?
Ideology is a set of common thoughts and ideas of a unit, group, organization or country, which dominated their values and interests. During the Cold War, the major ideologies were Capitalism and Communism. The above-mentioned ideologies had differences in political, economic and social aspects. Compare with other factors, ideological difference was the most important factor in causing the Cold War.
In political aspect, political ideological differences led to divergence between two blocs which caused the Cold War. Capitalist countries like Britain and the US adopted multi-party system and held a belief that the power belongs to the people, while the USSR following communism supported one-party dictatorship and believed that the power belongs to the party. Correspondingly, the two sides had huge disagreements on the post-war issues. For Poland波蘭, the US and Britain wanted elections to be held there so that people could vote for its future, while the USSR disagreed because it wanted to maintain communist influence there. Finally, political ideological differences motivated the two blocs to extend their influence so as to maintain their own stability. For example, in the Chinese Civil War中國內戰(1946-49), the USSR supported the CCP, and the US and Britain backed the KMT. The two main blocs were in confrontation and the Cold War started because of it. It showed that political ideological differences led to divergence between the two blocs and shaped confrontation, leading to the Cold War.
In economic aspect, economic ideological differences led to confrontation between two blocs which caused the Cold War. Capitalism supports market economy and private property ownership but communism entails planned economy and public ownership. There was a clear economic chasm between capitalist and communist countries that worsened their relationship and brought about the Cold War. Capitalist countries like the US and Britain made an effort to check the spread of communism because they worried that communist expansion would be a threat to the Free World they belonged to and they would not be able to stay away from its influence. Hence, they proactively checked the spread of communism. For example, the US implemented the Marshall Plan馬歇爾計劃 in 1948, offering aid totaling US$13 billion to European countries. The USSR, in response to it, put forward the Molotov Plan莫洛托夫計劃(1947) to revive Eastern European economy. As a result, economic ideological differences led to the division of Europe into two blocs in economic sense. Their confrontation and absence of interaction shaped the Cold War. It showed that economic ideological differences aggravated their relations and led to the Cold War.
In social aspect, social ideological difference reduced communication between two blocs which caused the Cold War. Capitalist countries valued freedom of individuals while communist countries believed that social stability outweighs individualism. In order to avoid the inflow of liberal thoughts from the capitalist side, the USSR stopped all kinds of transportation, communication and trade between Eastern and Western Europe. It also erected a barrier of barbed wire along the borders of its satellite states to prevent the penetration of liberal ideas. Soviet blockade subsequently provoked discontent among capitalist countries in the West. In 1946, Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain, delivered the Iron Curtain Speech鐵幕演說, in which the Soviet Union was criticized for blocking the interaction between Eastern and Western Europe and the US was requested to join hands with Britain against the USSR. The speech marked the beginning of the Cold War. Thus, the social ideological differences reduced their communication and exacerbated their relations, contributing to the Cold War.
Undoubtedly, there were other factors such as mutual distrust, power expansion of the US and the USSR and disagreements on the post-war settlement in causing the Cold War. However, they were less important than ideological differences.
Firstly, mutual distrust caused the Cold War. Since the US and USSR became the superpowers during WW2, they were suspicious each other. The USSR became the leader of Eastern Europe and controlled many Eastern European satellite states. It led to the US suspicion. Meanwhile, the US succeeded in producing atomic bombs which aroused the USSR suspicion that it would be attacked by its atomic bombs. Thus, mutual distrust led to confrontation and the emergence of the Cold War.
However, in terms of casuality, mutual distrust was less important than ideological differences since it originated from ideological differences. Capitalist countries such as the US and Britain attempted to suppress the influence of the USSR due to the fear of the expansion of communism. For example, in the Potsdam Conference波茨坦會議(1945), the US and Britain unitedly reduced the Soviet influence on the settlement of Japan to restrain the spread of communism. Thus, the USSR was suspicious of the US and Britain and resulted in mutual distrust. It showed that the factor of ideological differences was the most important factor in causing the Cold War.
Secondly, power expansion of the US and the USSR led to the Cold War. The strength of the US and USSR expanded rapidly after WW2 and became superpowers. The US had a strong economic and military power while the USSR possessed of 6 million soldiers, 20 thousand warplanes and 50 thousand tanks, being comparable to the US. They thought the opposite side intended to control the world, thus being suspicious to each other. They competed with each other in political, military and economic aspects in order to become the most powerful country in the world. It led to the Cold War.
However, ideological differences were more important than power expansion of the US and the USSR in causing the Cold War. Regarding extensiveness, the Cold War was not only the confrontation between the US and USSR but the capitalist and communist blocs. The two blocs were divided according to ideology. The communist bloc included the USSR, Poland, East Germany and the like. On the other hand, the capitalist bloc included the US, Britain, Japan and so on. It showed that the factor of ideological differences was the main factor in causing the Cold War.
Thirdly, the factor of disagreements on the post-war settlement led to the Cold War. In the later stage of WW2, the US, Britain and the USSR had disagreements on post-war arrangements. For example, concerning the occupation of Japan日本, the USSR wanted to expand its influence in the Far East but the US and Britain dreaded the Soviet expansion thus strongly opposed. Therefore, disagreements on the post-war settlement acted as a catalyst for the deteriorating relations of the two blocs, contributing to the Cold War.
However, in terms of casuality, disagreements on the post-war settlement were less important than ideological differences since the former originated from the latter. As the capitalist US and Britain dreaded the expansion of Communist Russia and the USSR hoped to extend its influence through the post-war settlements, disagreements resulted. When discussing the future of countries once ruled by the Nazi Germany納粹德國, the US and Britain hoped to elect a new government through free elections democratically but the USSR opposed and hoped to maintain the influence of the communist party in Poland, leading to disagreements between the two sides regarding post-war settlements. It showed that the factor of ideological differences was the main factor in causing the Cold War.
In conclusion, compare with other factors, ideological difference was the most important factor in causing the Cold War. Words: 1152
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