Why Did The United States Build The Berlin Wall

The Cold War began during World War II when Stalin’s distrust of the United States and Britain kept growing as they refused to invade Europe. After World War II, the USSR and the United States continued to antagonize each other through propaganda, economic aid, and proxy wars between other nations. From the beginning, the United States had the advantage because they had more money and power, and could provide Europe protection while they rebuilt. This was a war fought without engaging in full armed combat and is a war that is still fought today. Although the Soviet Union and the United States fought as allies during World War II, the relationship between the two powerful nations had become tense which then resulted in fighting for supremacy. Europe was the first battleground of the Cold War, especially in Germany. The Soviets built the Berlin Wall as a solution to separate Berlin from East Germany …show more content…
This policy was the basis of containing Russia from expanding their Communist influences to the Western European nations (“The Cold War”). The containment policy caused Europe to spend lots of money in return. The Marshall Plan spent thirteen billion dollars on rebuilding Western Europe with grants and credits that Europeans would usually spend on American consumer goods and construction. It was then hoped that capitalism's cheap food and other goods would stop the spread of communism. The United States also tried to slow the spread of communism by joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which was “the first mutual security and military alliance in American history” (“The Cold War”). NATO pushed the Soviets to “create an alliance with the communist governments of Eastern Europe” and the communist expansion triggered the Americans’ fear of a Russian plan to eventually take over the world (“The Cold War”). This gave sense for the “unprecedented arms buildup” in the United States which led to the development of the