Relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were driven by ideological, political, and economic factors, which led to changes in their cooperation and often bitter their superpower rivalry after the second world war. The distinct differences in the political systems of the two countries often prevented them from reaching a mutual understanding on key policy issues and even, as in the case of the Cuban missile crisis, brought them to the brink of war. This rivalry was nothing new between the two countries, their ideological conflict started since the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. The USA tried really hard to stop the revolution and the communist rising to power in Russia during their civil war in which they supported the "Whites". After the civil war hostility among the two countries kept increasing for instance, the League of Nations didn't recognized the USSR until the 1930s. This impartiality continued during the year, escalating dreadful clash.
Capitalism and communism are different in their political and economic ideologies. The most clear difference is there industry. In the communism world industry is own by the state. On the other hand, in a capitalistic world industry can have private owners. While the profit of any enterprise is equally shared by all the people in communism, the profit in a capitalist structure belong to the private owner only. Whereas the private party controls the resources in capitalism, it is the society that controls the whole means of production in communism. Another difference is that for Communists, the society is above individuals. But for capitalists, individual freedom is above everything, the state or the society. The capitalist system is an self regulated economy, whereas communism is an economy run by the state. Also in capitalism, the individual has full control over production and decides on the prices. Contrary to this, it is the society or the government that determines the prices in communism.
The USA and the USSR thought that its particular political philosophy was the best one for the world, that their system was the most fair and best creating a just society. How they put their opposing ideologies into work wasn't so different from each other. Each side believed that it offered the true path to peace, justice and plenty for all. However they were as well motivated my self-interest. On the one hand, the USA, wanted to established markets and open doors to free trade. Beside this way they could protect their economy from another economic crisis like the one on 1929. Also President Truman and most of the post-war US administration belief that what's good for America is good for the world, which wasn't always true. On the other hand, the USSR, wanted to secure their borders, recover their economy from WWII and to regain strength as motherland of communism. Also Stalin thought that what's good for the USSR was good the workers of the world, which also wasn't always true.
It's difficult to separate actions based on ideology from those on self interest. However, I think what motivated both the USSR and the USA is the search of power, and controlling the world to shape it as they feel it would be more convenient for them, in other words its simply old fashion imperialism.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
During this time the United States and Russia were natural rival due to the Cold War. The Cold War was a long period of tension between the democratic of the western world and the communist countries of Eastern Europe. The United States and Russia were also in a space race to see who can get to space first. The United States and Russia were always fighting for supremacy, like the arms race to see who has the best and most nuclear power. The United States and Russia have been rivals since the 1917.…
- 412 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Initially, in the late 1950s, the Soviet Union was stronger than ever. It had a strong military that was just as powered as that of the US and developed and tested a more destructive nuclear bomb that had twice the power as to what the Americans had at the time. But good things don't last forever, Underneath all that power they accumulated, tragedies began to erupt and eventually tore the Soviet Union apart. In 1979 With a newly elected United States President in office whose only mission was to end communism and destroy the Soviets. President Jimmy Carter became extremely vocal on the Soviets and began to fire offensive remarks that increased the tensions between the US and the USSR. Then came his predecessor Ronald Reagan in 1981 who was very vocal about his…
- 669 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Between 1945 and 1950, the tensions increased between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both superpowers, with varying standpoints on global affairs, were brought to the brink of war. As the United States pushed for the containment of communism, and the development of capitalist democracies, the Soviet Union continued to impose communist rule amongst itself and its satellite nations. Eventually, these conflicting views would lead to the start of the Cold War. Fueled by the disagreement of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., the war would be fought indirectly through propaganda and influence from leaders, the development of alliances, as well as the arms race.…
- 983 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
From the years of 1941 to 1949, there was an increase in suspicion and tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a Communist country ruled by a dictator while America was a capitalist democracy that valued freedom. Their completely different beliefs and aims caused friction to form between them, which contributed to the creation of the Cold War.…
- 1311 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Economic systems meet the needs of their people by determining what to produce, how to produce it, and who will buy it. Capitalism gives the people the freedom to make their own choices in what to do produce and so forth. On the other hand, a communist economy guarantees certain necessities for the people, such as jobs, food, clothing, and shelter, but the people have little/no choice in what kind. Though these two economic systems are run differently, the government in each will step to fill in the missing pieces of the people’s needs if absolutely necessary.…
- 614 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The mutual suspicion and dislike between the Soviet Union and the United States of America was the most important factor in the Cold War because it created distrust and continuous skepticism between the two world powers and their contrasting beliefs. For instance, when the Allies planned to beat the Axis in World War 2, the Soviet Union fought extremely hard along the Eastern Front, while the US and Great Britain were supposed to be landing in France, during the D-Day attack. But, this attack didn’t take place until almost two years after the Soviet Union had won the Eastern Front. This made Stalin and his troops very suspicious of the US, which continued until after the war. Stalin felt that Churchill and Roosevelt were teaming up on him, and weren’t going to do their part in ending the war.…
- 502 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After WWII, America and the Soviet Union were the 2 remaining super powers of the world. A rivalry formed between the two and created the Cold War in which both nations tried to be better in any way than the other. This had great effects on the American Society and Foreign Policy.…
- 641 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In capitalism, any individual can go out and sell goods or services at his own price, and can sell as much as he wants too. Whereas, in a communist state, the goods are services are provided by the government and priced by the government. To be an entrepreneur you have to be able to take risks, work hard and be able to handle the outcome whether you lose or win. You don't have to worry about losing in a communist country because you are assigned everything and given everything from money for school and college to medical care to food and shelter. In fact, in a communist country everyone is treated the same and it doesn't matter if you are a doctor or a janitor, everyone is equal. You do not have to worry about the market failing and you losing everything you have because everything is provided for you. A capitalist…
- 1410 Words
- 6 Pages
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 -
The Soviet Union and The United States never fought against one another. Nor did they go to war against one another. Instead, they fought through economics and politics. They did not cooperate, and work with each other, but worked against one another. This occurrence between the Soviet Union and the United states is called the cold war. This leads to communism, something the United States was against. Vietnam and Korea were two communist states, that the United States fought two wars against to expand their sphere of influence in order to become a superpower. In Asia, the Cold War created many brutal wars that were supported by the superpowers.…
- 390 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In the Communist theory, the government owns and makes the decisions for those business and factories based on what the government deems necessary for the overall well being of the population. Control of the economy is shared by the people and working in the name of the people, the government sets goals to eliminate economic inequality by dictating…
- 721 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Relations between the Soviet Union and the American Government grew and depleted over the years. Strong ties were formed when political, economic, and ideological factors were shared. Differences in political systems caused tension between the two governments and prevented them from coming to a mutual understanding on critical topics. This often led them to the brink of wars and crises, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union and the American Government were cautiously cooperative and oppositional.…
- 487 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Between 1941 and 1949, the Soviet Union and the United States, capitalists and communists had a major disagreement about political affairs. From the Red Scare, to the Bolsheviks Revolution, communism fright has spread around the US. The United States wanted to spread capitalism and decrease communism, while the Soviet Union wanted the opposite. Both sides used several methods and/or tactics to stop the spread of the opposite political view. These methods used by the United States and Soviet Union increased tension and suspicion between the two countries. Creations and arrangements of many conferences and actions taken by either side led to the Russian and American alliance to be broken and suspicion and tension led to a long lasting Cold War.…
- 1066 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Coming out of a post-World War II the relationship and tensions between America and the Soviet Union lasted for most of the second half of the twentieth century. This so-called war, heightened suspicions, creating a series of international events that brought the world’s two superpowers down to the brink of destruction.…
- 697 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Even though the Soviet Union and the U.S.A are not at war, they have been in a power struggle, constantly trying to be better than one another. There are multiple examples for this, but the biggest are the space race, the Cold War, and the Korean War. In 1955, the space race began, both the Soviet Union and USA created ballistic missiles used to launch satellites into space. Later, in 1957, after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I the U.S.A. and Soviet Union were in a race to get people into space. The Soviet Union first got Yuri Gagarin into space, but a few years later, the USA launched the Apollo 11 into space successfully. The Soviet Union was not able to recreate that successful space mission, so instead, they focused on space stations,…
- 503 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays