Cold War

It can be argued that the Cold War began when Communism began, however most would agree that cause of the Cold War started at the end of World War II. Joseph Stalin and the soviets had just finished the war, but the tensions between the Western Powers and the Soviet Union were still continuing even after the war had ended. The USSR were eating up the countries to the east of Germany, and even part of Germany itself, which made the Americans and British somewhat hesitant. The British feared a strong Soviet presence in Europe and the Americans wanted a free Germany which would make it have a larger market for its products. The Cold War defined both countries policies as Americans and Soviets fought for allies to maintain the amount of national influence they had around the world. The two sides viewed this as a battle between civilizations, in the battle between Capitalism and Communism, only one could prevail.

For more than forty years the Cold War had many conflicts dealing with global affairs, shaping the world with huge military spending and a nuclear arms race that no one thought would ever end. In 1947 President Truman asked for more than $400 million in military and economic assistance for Turkey and Greece, establishing a doctrine which would go on to be named the Truman Doctrine, this doctrine would guide diplomacy in the United States for more than forty years. Truman said that "It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." This sanction of aid by started the beginning of a long and enduring Cold War foreign policy. The Truman Doctrine has raised questions regarding its origins and the relationship between domestic and foreign policy, however it is ended Americas policy of isolationism.

After the death of Joseph Stalin Nikita Khrushchev was next in line to become the leader of the Soviet Union. At the Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet...