Cold_War

Cold   During World War II the United States and Soviet Union found themselves fighting a common enemy. Once the war ended, they turned on each other. The war led to prosperity in the United States and left the Soviet Union in a state of rebuilding. The two countries perceived the other as hostile which lead to the cold war. America developed a policy of containment that appeared aggressive toward the Soviet Union. George Kennan, the ambassador to Moscow, wrote a letter describing the attitudes of the Soviet leadership and stated that the United States must apply “unalterable counterforce at every point where [the Soviets] show signs of encroaching upon the interest of a peaceful and stable world.” (Davidson, 2006) This attitude led to a hostile attitude toward the Soviet Union, which in turn grew defensive and hostile toward the United States. The division between the Soviet Union and America came to a head over Berlin and led to the division of Germany. This division of Germany drew the line in the sand and decided the teams. There were NATO countries, United States, France and England to name a few, and Warsaw Pact countries, mainly the Soviet Union, on different sides. The United States policy regarding atomic weapons fueled the cold war. As the United States decreased their forces because they had the bomb, the Soviet Union had increased its military forces to protect, and prevent attack to, their land. (Davidson, 2006) The cold war led to a division of the world into east versus west and the American policies, based on their fear of the Soviets, fed that division and induced other countries to join them. References: Davidson, J. (Ed.). 2006). Nation of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic. (4th ed., Vol. 2). New York: McGraw-Hill.