The Soviet Union and the United States of America fought as allies in the Second World War. However, their relationship during the war was simply the result of having Nazi Germany as a mutual enemy.
Rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States of America to become the greatest nation further complicated the situation. These two states and their satellites had different political systems and ideologies. Capitalism in western countries and socialism in communist totalitarian regimes confronted each other in the Cold …show more content…
Why did Russia lose the Cold War?
Joseph Stalin won complete control of the Communist party after the death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in 1922. His belief was that the only way to avoid repeating another war was Soviet domination over Eastern European nations, including East Germany. The United States saw Russia’s attempts as the impending spread of Communism throughout Europe.
The Truman Doctrine was initiated by American President Harry Truman in order to contain Soviet influence. It mandated the isolation of countries in proximity to Soviet land. If this plan were not to be put into place, the “Domino Theory” would occur. If one country was allowed to fall to Communism, then other neighboring countries would fall as well. Americans were born into a Cold War culture that featured McCarthyist witch hunts and started the “Red Scare.”
The Cold War solidified between 1947 and 1948 when the United States provided seventeen billion U.S. dollars in aid under the Marshall Plan toward the rebuilding of Western Europe and brought those countries under American influence. The Marshall Plan was a part of the Truman Doctrine, and there was money also allocated for the reconstruction of Eastern Europe; however, these countries were completely under Stalin’s power at this time and he forbade them to accept any aid from the United