How The Ideological Conflict Between The Soviet Union And The United States

The ideological conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States emerged from their clashing political and economic systems. The United States was team capitalism and the Soviet Union was team communism. Tensions rose between the two superpowers during the dual occupation of Germany after WWII. The Cold War was a competition for global influence and the promotion of their respective beliefs. In President Harry Truman’s speech, known as the “Truman Doctrine,” Truman stated, “The Soviet Union and its agents have destroyed the independence and democratic character of a whole series of nations in Eastern and Central Europe” (Knappenberger Episode 1). The United States had a main goal of fighting communism and felt a responsibility to contain
The “Iron Curtain,” coined by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, symbolized the ideological, political, and physical barriers that divided Europe in two. Capitalist West Berlin was led by the United States and the communist East Berlin was led by the Soviet Union. Citizens of East Germany fled to the West. “58,000 left in March 1953 alone” (Cleveland Lecture 14). The Soviet Union executed hundreds of people trying to flee in purges (Cleveland Lecture 14). “Between 1949 and 1961, 2.7 million East Germans left” (Cleveland Lecture 14). The physical manifestation of the “Iron Curtain” was the Berlin Wall, which fell in 1989 leading to the reunification of Germany (Cleveland Lecture 14). The division of Europe, symbolized by the "Iron Curtain," shaped the political landscape of Europe. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union risked nuclear war. This fear loomed over the heads of people across the globe. Over the years, the Cold War affected almost every continent and damaged international