The Cold War

Essay on Cold War
The Cold War is a term used to describe the open yet restricted rivalry and hostility that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War lasted from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s. Numerous consequences resulted from the war, such as, the Korean War, the Truman Doctrine, and the Warsaw Pact.

Although it centered originally in Europe, the Cold War animosity eventually drew the United States and the USSR into local conflicts in almost every quarter of the globe. (Legvold 1).

Hatred between the United Sates and the USSR had its roots in the fading moments of World War I. Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin resolved to withdraw Russia from the war, but in 1918, the US and its allies intervened militarily in Russia to restore the collapse of the Eastern Front in their effort against Germany. The US and the European Powers took offense to Russia’s leadership. In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR, was formed as a federal union of Russia under Communist control. Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 to 1953. (The Cold War and post-Cold War eras: An overview 1)

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The United States and the USSR had become divided over political future in Poland, even before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945. Stalin’s forces had driven Germans out of Poland in 1944 and 1945 and he established the pro-Communist temporary government there. The US accused the USSR of expanding Communism in Europe and Asia. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman issued the Truman Doctrine, which authorized aid to anti-Communist forces in Greece and Turkey. In the summer of 1947, the US committed itself to a massive economic aid program. This program was called the Marshall Plan, after the US secretary of state George C. Marshall. It was designed to rebuild Western European economically. (Legvold 3)

Many significant events that helped shape the Cold War were...