After World War II, the United States and Soviet Union experienced short-lived alliance. At the end of the war, U.S. soldiers and Soviet soldiers met at the Elbe River and this would be the last time these countries would have peaceful meeting for 46 years. The Cold War began as the Communism spread into Eastern Europe through Soviet influence. The U.S. was afraid of losing trade partners and allies. The U.S. wanted to create a new world order in which all nations would have the right to "self-determination" and where the U.S. would have access to raw materials and markets for its industries. However, the Soviet Union wanted to encourage communism in other countries as part of the worldwide struggle between workers and the wealthy, and rebuild its war-ravaged economy using eastern Europe's industrial equipment and raw materials. The Soviet Union justified its action by using their effort in WWII as a defense. This caused a bitter rivalry which became known as the Cold War. 
Soviet Communism controlled all the property and economic activity of its people. It was run by totalitarian government which disallowed any other political parties. The government was led by Joseph Stalin, who had been an ally to Roosevelt during WWII. However, just before WWII started, Stalin had been Adolf Hitler's ally. The alliance was broken when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. Because Stalin was not deemed trustworthy, the U.S. did not get along with the Soviet Union and the bitter rivalry started.
The U.S. was looking to further its economic growth and this caused it to get involved in European foreign policy. In order to open trade networks, the U.S. needed allies in Europe and the rest of the world. As the Soviet Union created satellite states in order to spread its communist influence, the U.S. backed democratic countries financially. Because of this, the Soviet Union and the U.S. never fought any actual battles.
The Cold War dominated global affairs during this time period. The Soviet Union and the U.S. were the world's leading superpowers of the time. The U.S. foreign policy would be directed by the course of the Cold War and the war would not end until 1991 when the Soviet Union's economy collapsed.
Deukkwon Yoon
Bryce Filler
Soviet Communism controlled all the property and economic activity of its people. It was run by totalitarian government which disallowed any other political parties. The government was led by Joseph Stalin, who had been an ally to Roosevelt during WWII. However, just before WWII started, Stalin had been Adolf Hitler's ally. The alliance was broken when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. Because Stalin was not deemed trustworthy, the U.S. did not get along with the Soviet Union and the bitter rivalry started.
The U.S. was looking to further its economic growth and this caused it to get involved in European foreign policy. In order to open trade networks, the U.S. needed allies in Europe and the rest of the world. As the Soviet Union created satellite states in order to spread its communist influence, the U.S. backed democratic countries financially. Because of this, the Soviet Union and the U.S. never fought any actual battles.
The Cold War dominated global affairs during this time period. The Soviet Union and the U.S. were the world's leading superpowers of the time. The U.S. foreign policy would be directed by the course of the Cold War and the war would not end until 1991 when the Soviet Union's economy collapsed.
Deukkwon Yoon
Bryce Filler
