Origins of the Cold War
The Cold War started after World War II. After the war, Roosevelt, Stalin, and
Churchill met in the Soviet city of Yalta for the Yalta Conference. They
decided to divide Germany into four occupation zones. Later, Truman as the new
president for the United States, and the other leaders met at the Potsdam
Conference where they decided to divide Berlin into occupation zones. Truman
and Stalin had very different visions of postwar Europe. Stalin wanted to
create a buffer zone of friendly communist, whereas, Truman wanted to allow
Eastern European nations to determine their own form of government. By giving
this free choice, Truman believed they would pick democracy.
The U.S. and Soviet Union represented sharp differences in ideology. The U.S. system centered on a belief in democratic government and capitalist economics, where individuals and private businesses make most of the economic decisions. The USSR system centered on communism, which produces great social inequalities and rejects the proletariat.
Later, Stalin set up communist governments in the European nations occupied by Soviet troops, and became known as satellite nations. Satellite nations are countries that depended on and were dominated by the Soviet Union. The U.S. responded with a policy of containment which was an effort to block Soviet influence.
The United States was the only one who had possessed an atomic bomb. Later, the Soviets had one as well, this made the United States feel the need to develop weapons with even greater force. This lead to an arms race between the two nations. The arms race led to the development of nuclear missiles and submarines. For example, the United States and Soviets built long-range, international ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. Both nations started making their own weapons to protect themselves from each other.
In conclusion, the main cause of the cold war was ideology, satellite nations, and arms race. Both sides had differences in ideology. The United States did not like how the USSR created satellite nations and caused problems between that. Also, the arms race caused both countries to try to get more power by creating more and more weapons.
The U.S. and Soviet Union represented sharp differences in ideology. The U.S. system centered on a belief in democratic government and capitalist economics, where individuals and private businesses make most of the economic decisions. The USSR system centered on communism, which produces great social inequalities and rejects the proletariat.
Later, Stalin set up communist governments in the European nations occupied by Soviet troops, and became known as satellite nations. Satellite nations are countries that depended on and were dominated by the Soviet Union. The U.S. responded with a policy of containment which was an effort to block Soviet influence.
The United States was the only one who had possessed an atomic bomb. Later, the Soviets had one as well, this made the United States feel the need to develop weapons with even greater force. This lead to an arms race between the two nations. The arms race led to the development of nuclear missiles and submarines. For example, the United States and Soviets built long-range, international ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. Both nations started making their own weapons to protect themselves from each other.
In conclusion, the main cause of the cold war was ideology, satellite nations, and arms race. Both sides had differences in ideology. The United States did not like how the USSR created satellite nations and caused problems between that. Also, the arms race caused both countries to try to get more power by creating more and more weapons.