Preview

Who is to blame for the Cold War, Soviet Union or United States?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1406 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Who is to blame for the Cold War, Soviet Union or United States?
The Cold War was the elongated tension between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It was a clash of these supergiants in political, ideological, military, and economic values and ideas. The blame for the Cold War cannot be placed on one person -- it developed as a series of chain reactions as a struggle for supremacy. The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the twentieth century. Both the United States and the Soviet Union share equal responsibility for the start and continuance foe nearly a half century of the Cold War.

The political relations going on in Europe during and directly after World War II had an enormous effect on laying the foundation for the Cold War. The decisions made by the United States in WWII caused tensions to rise between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. Fear of Communism in capitalist nations, caused the United states government to use propaganda to raise Cold War anxieties and to get the American public scared of communism and in support of the cold war. The American government used a federal organizations, such as HUAC, tostop films from having to much of a communist appeal to them, to investigate people for being communist spies, and to further the public's hatred of communism. Next an American Senator named Joseph R. McCarthy would lead a series of trials against communists in the United States. Most of the people that Macarthy accused of being communist reached conviction. This happened despite the fact that many of the accused were not in fact communists. Therefore, the McCarthy trials acted as form of US propaganda, which gathered American support for the Cold War against the Soviets. Moreover, Hollywood began to produce anti-Communist films, which increased a fear of communism in the United States. Thus, the actions of the American government, journalist, and media increased the general anti-Communist support for the Cold War.

Furthermore, war time

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The events that led up to the Cold War shows that the Soviet Union, not the United States, was responsible for the development of the Cold War. There were many ideological differences between the two superpowers. The Soviet Union wanted a weak Germany and a communist government. The United States and there allies wanted a democratic government and a strong Germany. The United States was also worried over the Soviet spreading communism throughout Europe. The Soviet Union wanted to produce a world dominated by communism and the USSR. America felt aggressions towards the Soviet for this. These events led to the development of the Cold War.…

    • 518 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Cold War was a war not fought directly but indirectly between the US and the USSR. The United States economy had boosted up during World War II and it was continuing to grow after and would continue for many years. There were enough jobs for almost all Americans and they were all living almost comfortably. When the Second World War was over the United States rose as the most “powerful country in the world” [1]. They were also the only ones to have the atomic bomb. After a few years of being the only country with this power the Soviet Union created and tested an atomic bomb. After that moment it became a race of which country could create the most for protection and intimidation. As an American citizen this is when the Cold War started, with the successful test of the atomic bomb in USSR and uneasiness at its highest.…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War took place between the USA and the USSR. Many arguments had to do with capitalism vs. communism. Both were longing to have expansion and most importantly power. They had no trust between each other, but they both had advantages in case the war became violent. The USSR had a vast army, while the USA had an atomic bomb (TheHistoryLearningSite 1-2).…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War (1945-1991) conquered international relations within a structure of political, economic, and military tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War facilitated global leadership by the United States, and provided Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and his successors with an enemy to validate their suppressive regime. The Cold War helped legitimize an unrepresentative government and uphold the Communist Party in the Soviet Union (Kennedy, 1989; Kissinger, 1994).…

    • 1432 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War took off after the end of the Second World War when the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two global dominant superpowers each grasping ideologies that were dichotomous from each other. This adverse relationship continued for half a century and the clash of two distinct and differing political ideologies of communism and capitalism saw no clear conclusion or victory for either side. The tense atmosphere resonated not only in the United States and the Soviet Union, but also around the world and into space. For most of the fifty years of the cold war, the ideological struggle and the many indirect physical conflicts between the West and the Soviet Union were in a deadlock with no visible success of either side. However,…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War was a hostile rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted for 45 years. This war began at the end of World War II with the collapse of the Soviet Union. This war is described as “a war of words and ideas”. The United States and the Soviet Union clashed over their political and economic differences. The United States approved of a democratic government and capitalistic economy while the Soviet Union approved of a communist state.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During the time of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought together being allies against the Axis powers. However they had a tense bond, Americans were aware of Joseph Stalin’s communism and were concerned about his possible motives to completely rule as he does his own country. As for the Soviets, they resented that the Americans did not treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community. The Cold War was the name given to the relationship of the USSR and the United States that built after World War II. The Cold War existed in order to dominate international affairs for decades, however many crises occurred such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Berlin Wall being created. For many of the people,…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cold War Dbq

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Cold War was a shocking and controversial event, which is still being discussed today. It is necessary to search the many reasons why it started and how. While the ’why’ or ‘what happened’ is still being argued out over time the ’what’ is very clear. One of the main reasons of the Cold War was that there were huge differences in the way that the East and West were led and as many know disagreements usually lead to conflict.…

    • 926 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Cold War Dbq

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Cold War was a “global; power struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1945 to 1991” (textbook page 511). In 1945 the United States and the Soviet Union defeated Germany in World War Two. After the war was over, both wanted to be the leader of the world. The two countries remained allies with each other until communism began to spread in Europe. The spread of communism caused Americans to fear communism which lead to problems that affected the United States domestic policy and their society. The Cold War affected the US educationally,…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War was a global, political, and ideological war between the United States and the Soviet Union. There was no direct military contact between the United States and the Soviet Union. The leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union could not agree on a long term solution after World War II, causing the Cold War to start. France…

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cold War was by chance the most stressful part of the World’s history than anything else because it stretched across the entire globe and affected every country in one way or another. There are several reasons that the Cold War began and several different points that can be described as the beginning of the Cold War. By far the most influential part of the Cold War was the distrust that Joseph Stalin had between Winston Churchill and Harry Truman. The hostile relationship between the countries began when the Soviet Union would not open invade the Eastern part of Europe pushing Germany back and helping out the rest of the allies (Crash Course #39). The Cold War was a time that no one wanted to blink because they were afraid they might miss something important.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cold War

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Cold War was a period of time in which there was a rise in political and economic tension between the USA and the Soviet Union post World War 2. The purpose was to prevent the spread of communism and the domino theory.This event lasted from 1945 to 1985. The Cold war had a large effect on the United States domestic policy and American society. Things, people and events all played an effect on generations rapidly.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cold War Containment

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Cold War was around a decade long struggle for the United States and the Soviet Union. The cause of this war was to stop anymore communism, or so that was the party line from the President Harry Truman. Although some argue on when the war began it is said to have started around late 1945, when the relationship between Moscow and Washington was at its lowest point. This war was the first thing of its kind, and often was…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For nearly fifty years, the world lived in fear as two super-power nations quietly battled for power, respect and popularity of their respective political views. The Cold War arose out of the ashes of the failed alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union in World War II. Many different factors could be linked to the actual cause of the Cold War, however many agree that the political future of Eastern Europe was the major spark that ignited the battle between Communist Russia and Capitalist America1. The American fear of the spread of communism and their ambition to penetrate the "Iron Curtain" only added fuel to the fire that had been burning for some time already. Although the causes are too numerous to get into detail, the effects were felt throughout the world, not only just in the US and Russia. The effects of the struggle can still be seen in today's culture, and are prominent at that. Hence, although many lives were lost, millions of dollars were spent and resources expended2, the Cold War "benefited" some more than others, mainly "benefiting" North America and Europe, while Latin America still seems to be suffering the consequences of becoming involved with the war. However, if one were to ask who "won" the war, it is near impossible to answer, as the negatives of the situation far outweigh the positives.…

    • 2230 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    This Cold War has affected the world from 1945 until now. The blame lies on one of these two countries.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays