Why were Western governments suspicious of the SOVIET UNION in the period 1945 to February 1948 (the communist take-over of Czechoslovakia)?

The most important reason for Western suspicion of the Soviet Union was ideological. Quite simply, liberalism/capitalism could not live alongside communism. It could not accept a system that did not allow democracy in the form of free competitive elections and free speech, and which was determined to abolish private property. They felt that if communism was successful it would be the end of freedom as they understood it. After all, they had tried to destroy the German economy with their demands for reparations with the intent of crippling it in the hope that the Soviet Union would dominate all of Germany, West as well as East.

On a personal level, Stalin had shown that he could not be trusted. Agreements made at Yalta regarding a Soviet “sphere of influence” in Eastern Europe had, in the view of the West, been twisted to mean “control” of free and independent countries. He had shown that he was prepared to use the smallest loophole to undermine any agreement, so what was the use of dealing with him?

The ideological and the personal suspicion only increased when Truman replaced Roosevelt. Truman was much more anti-communist and, whereas Roosevelt was prepared to negotiate with the Soviet Union, Truman was much less willing to do so. He mistakenly thought that the Soviet Union was supporting the Greek communists in the Greek Civil War (1946-9) and so, in March 1947, called for congressional approval for the United States to ‘support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures,’ or in short a policy of containment. This became known as the Truman Doctrine. It was supported by Marshall Aid which lasted for four years, beginning in July, 1947.

Soviet actions also led to increased suspicion. The Soviet Union had kept 12 million troops in seven East European countries with the clear intent to dominate them. They had not followed the agreements regarding Poland.  Stalin had promised free elections in Poland. However, it soon became apparent that Stalin had no intentions of holding true to his promise. Indeed, by the time of the Potsdam conference, the Soviet Union was busily securing control over most of Eastern Europe by manipulating elections and clamping down on any opposition.

Also, in September 1947, Cominform was set up by the Soviet Union in order to exert even more control over the governments of what could now be called, “the Eastern Bloc” or “the Soviet Bloc”. The Bureau was not only set up to spread communist propaganda to all European countries but also to co-ordinate, i.e. enforce, the activities of the member communist parties in their struggle against ‘Anglo-American imperialism’. It also supported the strikes of the workers in France and Italy. Consequently the western nations had increasing fear of Communist conquest of the world.  

Finally, it is worth remembering that suspicion of the Soviet Union and its wish to expand its influence first came to light with the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the Soviet Union`s annexation of parts of Poland as well as extending Soviet “influence” in  Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania. This was surely in the minds of Western leaders post-Potsdam.