Throughout WWII the Soviet Union and the United States were close allies on the surface, but below there was much doubt and uncertainty in the alliance. After the war, the alliance quickly diminished and the two countries became rivals. The Cold War had little to no conflict, but was a battle of ideals, nuclear power, and world influence. The Soviet Union single handedly took power over many small countries in Eastern Europe, satellites states. They also formed a frightening and powerful relationship with China. Communism was spreading quickly and the United States was intent on containment from fear of the domino effect. In order to contain communism, the United States tried to keep the Soviet Union’s control over Germany and Korea to a minimum.
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The first issue regarding Germany arose when the Soviet Union took control of the East towards the end of WWII. The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences showed that there was going to be disagreements on how to shape postwar Germany. Both countries, “intended to arrange a postwar world along the lines that would be most beneficial to itself” (CITE). Once the conflict ended, Germany was divided up between France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Berlin, Germany became a source of tension during this time when it was split into East and West Berlin. To stop the American’s from supporting West Berlin the Soviets put up the Berlin Blockade, this became one of the first international crisis of the Cold War. The blockade cut off all railways and hindered the …show more content…
Korea was split roughly in half by the 38th parallel; the Americans claimed the South and the Soviets settled in the North. Both the North and South Korean leaders were not looking for a war, but sought to unify Korea. The North believed in a strong communist government due to the influence of the Soviets in their government and army. The south wanted a republic and almost, “one million North Koreans fled to the south” (CITE). The leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, proposed the idea of invading the South to Stalin. At first, Stalin rejected this scheme since the United States was by far superior when it game to nuclear capability. Once the Soviet Union exploded their first atomic bomb, Stalin gave Kim permission to invade South Korea. With the approval of the Soviet Union, Kim invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. After this surprise attack, the United States sent troops into Korea to contain the communists in the north. The United States supported the war by contributing, “the navy, air force, and two-fifths of the army” (CITE). With a huge super power backing South Korea, Stalin urged the Chinese to send troops. He hoped to weaken the United States’ grip on Asia by adding South Korea to his communist body. The stalemate continued and eventually an armistice was signed. The war took over 4 million Korean lives and, “the United States suffered 142,000 casualties,
The first issue regarding Germany arose when the Soviet Union took control of the East towards the end of WWII. The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences showed that there was going to be disagreements on how to shape postwar Germany. Both countries, “intended to arrange a postwar world along the lines that would be most beneficial to itself” (CITE). Once the conflict ended, Germany was divided up between France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Berlin, Germany became a source of tension during this time when it was split into East and West Berlin. To stop the American’s from supporting West Berlin the Soviets put up the Berlin Blockade, this became one of the first international crisis of the Cold War. The blockade cut off all railways and hindered the …show more content…
Korea was split roughly in half by the 38th parallel; the Americans claimed the South and the Soviets settled in the North. Both the North and South Korean leaders were not looking for a war, but sought to unify Korea. The North believed in a strong communist government due to the influence of the Soviets in their government and army. The south wanted a republic and almost, “one million North Koreans fled to the south” (CITE). The leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, proposed the idea of invading the South to Stalin. At first, Stalin rejected this scheme since the United States was by far superior when it game to nuclear capability. Once the Soviet Union exploded their first atomic bomb, Stalin gave Kim permission to invade South Korea. With the approval of the Soviet Union, Kim invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. After this surprise attack, the United States sent troops into Korea to contain the communists in the north. The United States supported the war by contributing, “the navy, air force, and two-fifths of the army” (CITE). With a huge super power backing South Korea, Stalin urged the Chinese to send troops. He hoped to weaken the United States’ grip on Asia by adding South Korea to his communist body. The stalemate continued and eventually an armistice was signed. The war took over 4 million Korean lives and, “the United States suffered 142,000 casualties,