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The Factors And Causes Of The Cold War

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The Cold War involved the U.S.A and the Soviet Union who fought indirectly with each other. The Cold War emerged in the years up to 1955 partly due to the ideological differences between the superpowers. However, other factors need to be considered, such as the arms race, which carried an immense symbolic meaning as it was a rivalry for supremacy. Also of significance were the different views of the USA and the USSR on what should happen to Germany once World War II had ended, whether the German economy should be demolished or revived. All of these reasons played an important role in bringing about the Cold War.

The USSR was a communist state controlled by the government, while the USA was a capitalist state with freedom and a democratically elected government. Naturally both sides believed strongly their ideology was superior to the other, therefore they both wanted other countries to follow their belief for their own advantages. This resulted in tensions to rise, as capitalism and communism were the complete antithesis of one another. President Truman wanted to contain communism to prevent it from spreading, which became to be known as the Truman Doctrine. The USA launched Marshall Aid in Europe so that countries in need would not turn to communism. These acts show clearly to what extent the USA went to, to intercept the growth of communism. To a huge extent the differences in ideologies evidently caused the emergence of the Cold War, because it caused conflict and

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