Cold War

Influences of the Cold War
Bobbie Jo Cavanaugh
Axia College of University of Phoenix

    During WWII the United States and the Soviet Union were allies, and worked together to defeat Japan. After WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union became enemies due to Communism. The two countries did not see eye to eye, and did not trust each other. The Soviets had created an “Iron Curtain” between Eastern and Western Europe. When the “Iron Curtain” divided Germany in half it made things worse with the two countries with the Soviet Union ruling East Germany, and the United States rebuilding West Germany. With Communism spreading across Eastern Europe fear arose within the United States that the Soviet Union was going to take over Europe. All Eastern Europe was now under Communist control. The United States believed they were the only country strong enough to control this Soviet expansion from going further. The Soviets were seen by many within the United States to be insecure, unreasonable, and paranoid.   These elements led to the belief that the Soviets were going to expand. The solution created by the United States was containment.   If they could contain the Soviets by matching them in every aspect militarily, diplomatically, and economically then Communism would not spread further.
    American Cold War policies and practices influenced United States international relations throughout the late 1940s into the mid-1950s.   Anticommunism became much of the focus of the United States foreign policy throughout the Cold War.   The United States committed itself to helping other countries that they felt were in trouble of falling to Communism.   For example, in 1947 when Great Britain announced to the world it could not support the governments in Greece and Turkey, the United States stepped in and provided the support needed to these two countries to prevent the Soviets from taking control. In addition, the United States provided aid through the Marshall Plan to Western... [continues]

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