Wars occur for many reasons: issues between countries over politics and economics, power struggles between leaders, and unresolved conflicts from previous wars. The Cold War was a perfect example of all three of these factors. Soon after the end of World War II, tensions rose and a new war broke out. This “cold” war, a war that does not constitute any actual military combat, lasted about 45 years. The Cold War took place between the Soviet Union, the United States, and the majority of the European countries to the west of Russia, primarily Britain and France. The United States, a nation striving to grow in trade and capitalism, was not inclined to allow the Soviet Union to bring their communism and suppressive ideals …show more content…
One possible reason that the United States can be blamed for the Cold War is their tense relationship with the USSR and their reluctance to joining forces with the Soviet Union after WWII. During WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union allied against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. However, this short lived friendship inevitably turned into a brutal competition for the most powerful country in the world. One document showing the United States’ involvement and part in the start of the Cold War was the "Iron Curtain Speech" British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, gave on March 5, 1946. In this speech, Churchill says, “From what I have seen of our Russian friends and allies during the war, I am convinced that there is nothing they admire so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for weakness, especially military weakness.” This is important because it shows that the United States clearly wanted to remain the superpower of the world and was willing to do what was necessary in order to keep the Soviet Union from becoming more powerful than them. While this is true about the motives of the United States, I believe that the USSR was more forceful and assertive in achieving their goal of world domination and they truly did all that was necessary to make that