Overview and Outcome
The two countries that were involved in the Cold War were the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War began in the 1940s and came to an end in the 1960s. The Soviet Union and allies relationship began to totter toward the end of the war the United States and Soviet Union stood on top of everyone else in the economic and military powers. Once the Soviet Union’s victory at defeating the Nazi Party at Stalingrad in 1943, the Soviet Union started to expand into Europe. The United States, Soviet Union’s ally realized that the Soviet Army would take over the all the Europe countries but also expanded into Greece and Turkey. Great Britain was also an ally. At the Yalta conference both sides agreed that the Polish government would be Communist and non-communist leadership. But the Communism took over and Great Britain was not happy about it. The United States and Soviet Union did not trust each other because of opposing ideologies, Capitalism, and Communism.
The United States and Soviet Union did not trust each other because of opposing ideologies, capitalism, and communism. The leaders that met at the Yalta Conference were Franklin Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill. The topic discussed at the conference were the unconditional surrender of Germany, Stalin agreed to fight against the Empire of japan within 90days of Germany, and Nazi ware criminals were being hunted down and put to trial. The Big Three Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Harry Truman. The issue that were discussed were to negotiate the terms for the end of World War 2. The major issue at Potsdam was the question on how to handle Germany.
Three postwar goals for the United States wanted a free market and capitalism. Another goal for Germany to be rebuild. Wanted to conquer European nations for them to experience democracy. The Soviet Union goals were to rebuild Europe where the Soviet Union would recover all the losses during the war. Wanted to establish Soviet satellite nations to Soviet domination. Wanted to promote the spread of communism. Wanted to better the relationship with the United States.
Five characteristics that make up a communistic country is classless society, cooperation, no luxury item, the greater good of the people not individual rights, government control. Five characteristics of a capitalistic country is survival of the fittest, class society, competition, based on luxury items, people control.
The Iron Curtain was a strongly guarded border area between the U.S political system, set up as a block. The buffer countries along the western border of the Soviet union were East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania. The Soviet Union did this because they had no secure border. No geographical advances to help them in case of an attack. They wanted to set up satellite countries because they could from conquering the territory. From the Yalta Conference the satellite countries all fell under the Soviet Union.
The name of the United States policy in dealing with the Soviet Union was called “Containment.” The policy “Containment” was a government policy to contain Communism by uniting military, economic and diplomatic strategies. The Truman Doctrine was created to help Greece and Turkey to prevent their fall to communism. The Marshall Plan for Western Europe, was to under George Marshall offers aid to all European Countries. Sixteen Western European nations apply for aid Soviet Union and satellite nations refuse because they didn’t want to look weak.