How Did the Cold War Begin
Alicia B. Vaughner | How Did the Cold War Begin? | | | POL 300 027016*201004 | Strayer University |
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How Did the Cold War Begin?
No one seems to be able to agree on an exact date of when the Cold War began. There was never an official announcement of warfare to note the start beginning of the conflict. The cause of the Cold War stems from many causes. However, it was mainly due to conflict between the United States and the then Soviet Union. “Both the United States and the Soviet Union had been born in revolution. Both embraced ideologies with global aspirations: what worked at home, their leaders assumed, would also do for the rest of the world.” (Gaddis, 2005, p 7) Both were well ahead of other countries in many areas. Both entered the war, the Soviets because of Germany’s invasion and the United States because Hitler declared war after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. But here is where their similarities ended. The differences between the nations were outweighed the similarities enormously.
Both countries had their own ideas as to how things should have been during the period after the war. The United States envisioned the “One World” concept. (Anderson 2001, pp. 7-9) That all nations should be self-governing and allowing the United Nations to resolve differences and make certain there was peace. The United States had believed that its way of life and culture was much better than other nations and that everyone else would fare better if they were like America.
The Soviet Union was a communist society. That meant that everything was owned by the country, however, it was controlled by the government. This idea was the total opposite of the United States and many other countries where businesses were ran and owned privately. The Soviets wanted the nations that they governed to operate as they did.
The leaders of both nations tried, tirelessly to work out their differences. There was a conference held at Tehran, Iran in 1943.
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How Did the Cold War Begin?
No one seems to be able to agree on an exact date of when the Cold War began. There was never an official announcement of warfare to note the start beginning of the conflict. The cause of the Cold War stems from many causes. However, it was mainly due to conflict between the United States and the then Soviet Union. “Both the United States and the Soviet Union had been born in revolution. Both embraced ideologies with global aspirations: what worked at home, their leaders assumed, would also do for the rest of the world.” (Gaddis, 2005, p 7) Both were well ahead of other countries in many areas. Both entered the war, the Soviets because of Germany’s invasion and the United States because Hitler declared war after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. But here is where their similarities ended. The differences between the nations were outweighed the similarities enormously.
Both countries had their own ideas as to how things should have been during the period after the war. The United States envisioned the “One World” concept. (Anderson 2001, pp. 7-9) That all nations should be self-governing and allowing the United Nations to resolve differences and make certain there was peace. The United States had believed that its way of life and culture was much better than other nations and that everyone else would fare better if they were like America.
The Soviet Union was a communist society. That meant that everything was owned by the country, however, it was controlled by the government. This idea was the total opposite of the United States and many other countries where businesses were ran and owned privately. The Soviets wanted the nations that they governed to operate as they did.
The leaders of both nations tried, tirelessly to work out their differences. There was a conference held at Tehran, Iran in 1943.
Cited: Anderson, Dale. (2001). The Cold War Years. Austin, New York: Raintree, Steck~Vaughan Publishers Isaacs, Jeremy and Downing, Taylor. (1998). Cold War: An Illustrated History, 1945-1991. Boston: Little, Brown and Company Gaddis, John L. (2005). The Cold War A New History. England: Penguin Books Hanhimaki, Jussi and Odd Arne Westard. (2003). The Cold War: A History in Documents and Eyewitness Accounts. New York: Oxford Press Maltz, Leora. (2003). The Cold War Period 1945-1992 Volume 8. Michigan: Greenhaven Press Maus, Derek C. (2003). Turning Points in World History: The Cold War. Michigan: Greenhaven Press