Early Tensions Between East and West
The origins of the Cold War can be traced to fundamental ideological differences between the United States and Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II.
The United States championed capitalism, emphasizing private ownership, individual freedom, and free elections. In contrast, the Soviet Union promoted communism, characterized by state control, a single-party system, and a classless society.
Despite forming the Grand Alliance with Great Britain in 1941 to defeat Nazi Germany and Japan, the US and USSR remained deeply suspicious of each other. Key events that shaped early Cold War tensions included:
• The dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, which gave the US a temporary nuclear monopoly
• A series of wartime conferences at Tehran (1943), Yalta (1945), and Potsdam (1945) where the Allied powers negotiated the post-war order
• The creation of Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe, viewed by the West as an "Iron Curtain" descending across the continent
Vocabulary: Satellite states - Countries effectively controlled by a more powerful nation, despite nominal independence
Highlight: The 1946 "Long Telegram" by US diplomat George Kennan articulated the policy of containment that would guide US strategy throughout the Cold War
Quote: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." - Winston Churchill, 1946 Iron Curtain speech
The arms race between the superpowers accelerated rapidly, with both sides developing increasingly powerful nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This buildup of military might heightened Cold War tensions and the risk of devastating conflict.
