Because the USA and the USSR were so powerful, they dragged other countries into the dispute as allies or supporters. This tension was the cause of crises and conflicts in many parts of the world. These crises brought the world to the brink of a third world war on a number of occasions between 1945 and 1991.
What caused the Cold War? Political
Capitalism v
Communism
differences between East and West
The Marshall Plan
Disagreements during
World War II
What were the causes of the Cold War?
The Truman Doctrine
Post-war disagreements
Soviet buffer zone
Soviet satellite states
Churchill’s ‘iron curtain’ speech
The USA and USSR (Soviet Union) had two different systems of government and society. Each side feared that the other wanted to overthrow it and establish their own system. They had some disagreements during World War II, but the most serious disagreements occurred after the war. The Soviet Union took over control of countries in Eastern Europe, such as Poland and Hungary, to create a buffer (or defensive) zone with the West. These became Soviet satellite states, which Churchill said were behind an ‘iron curtain’. The USA developed the Marshall Plan to help European recovery after the war. The US President, Truman, stated his view in the Truman Doctrine that the US would help any governments threatened by communism.
Why was the Cold War Important?
Different ways of life The Cold War was a clash of two different ways of life. The way of life in America and its allies was very different to the way of life in the USSR and its allies. Each side believed that the other was trying to destroy its way of life. The Cold War was a conflict about which way of life was better.
