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Causes of the Cold War

 

            The Cold War can be described as a state of tension between countries in which each side develops policies that are made to strengthen it and weaken the other by falling short by actual war. However, the Cold War beginning in 1947 was more of a verbal war, which was mainly fought through newspapers, magazines, radio and other propaganda methods. The causes and developments of it can be debatable as the Cold War doubles as a conflict between two countries – the USA and the USSR and between the two ideologies of Capitalism and Communism. These ideas were influenced by political, military and economic aspects, which majorly impacted in the conflict between the countries developing into the Cold War.
             Considerations of political aspects were vital in understanding the tensions, which arose between the USA and USSR. After WWII, peace was restored throughout Europe, however a growing rift between Stalin, Truman and Churchill already threatened it. At the Potsdam Conference, there was already a division between the partners where Truman and Churchill were determined to secure political freedom and democratic governments throughout post-war Europe whilst Stalin was determined to dominate all of Europe and impose communism on its nations. Each side could not tolerate their ideologies therefore, resulting in the incapability of trusting each during the Cold War. This split in ideology drove to the development of the 'two camps theory', which was that the world split along the lines of the two ideologies. The Tehran War Conference where the 'Big Three' – Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to discuss issues focusing on military matters in Europe. One of the main outcomes was the commitment to the opening of a second front against Nazi Germany by the Western Allies. This second front was important for Stalin, as it would help to take the pressure off the Russians on the Eastern Front.


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