Cold War

Cold War Ideology and Policies

Evelyn Millslagle

HIS/135

May 21 2011

Jim Downs

Cold War Ideology and Policies

The Cold War Ideology that crystallized after WWII and left Europe with less power and they were no longer the dominating powerhouse, as they had been known as before the war. This war changed many things, including wartime alliances that had existed during the war and how American Cold War policies and practices influenced international relations from the late 1940’s until the mid 1950’s.

The Soviet Union and the United States were allies during WWII and when Europe was mostly destroyed and left in ruins, United Sates and the Soviet Union became the powerhouses and this caused these two countries to become mortal enemies. Both Germany and Japan were defeated and there was no superpower left in Europe or Asia to stop the Soviet Union’s Armies. This caused the United States to fear that the Soviet Union would start dominating these Countries with communistic beliefs. Stalin knew that Germany and Japan were defeated and the East and West borders were secure from invasion and then he began to advance the interests of the Soviet State into his own regime.

In the late 1940’s and 50’s tension increased with the Soviet Union and it was caused by how Germany would be split because Russia wanted the larger part of it. The United States stepped up and did what they could to stop the Soviets from receiving what they wanted. Berlin was surrounded by the Soviet Union, the United States hindered the Soviets by starting the Berlin airlift and by doing this, and it hindered the Russians attempts. In the 1950’s the United States began a policy of containment that stated the United States would help any Country that was being threatened by communism and this caused the U.S to get in a little trouble with Viet Nam and Korea.