Topic > The Causes of the Cold War? - 654

The Cold War began due to animosity between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II and only grew exponentially after the war. The two countries did not get along and "By the time Roosevelt and Stalin met at Yalta in the spring of 1945 there were two absolutely opposing points of view...Stalin felt that unless there were governments friends around its border in Europe, it would have been just as insecure as it was before and during World War II, that was a nightmare he did not want to relive, that absolutely clashed with the will of the United States.” (Superpowers Collide, n.d.) The initial impression that a democratic government, such as that of the United States, and a communist government, such as the Soviet Union, can have a mutual relationship is naive. The ideological beliefs of the United States that it wanted a capable free and democratic Europe to decide on its own and the Soviets who wanted Europe to be state-owned and under total control clashed. This “red scare,” or fear of communism, was not a new concept, as we learned that Americans' trepidations towards communism they dated back to the period before the First World War. Before and after the Berlin Crisis, the Cold War rapidly intensified. Two competitions pursued over the next three decades; one was against the spread of communism, known as containment, and the other was the arms race. Containment of communism was evident with measures in place to support parts of Europe and communist support in Korea and Vietnam led to military commitments. Perhaps none was more feared than the two races meeting right in America's backyard, Cuba. The spread of communism and the fear of nuclear war came within 90 miles of American soil with “This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic country ... middle of paper ... facts made the war for freedom in America? This led to even more vigorous government efforts to control information, manipulate the press, and persuade the public…” (SDS Vietnam, 1965) The best known of these protestors were the hippies, however, even less radical citizens felt the pressure from an expanding federal government.Bowles, M. (2011).A History of the United States 1865-Present. Sand Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education Kennedy, J. (1962, October). Speech on the Cuban crisis. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1962kennedy-cuba.htmlSDS Anti-Vietnam War Speech. (1965). Hippyland. Retrieved from http://www.hippy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=130Superpowers Collide. (n.d.) Films Media Group. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=8397&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=