The Similarities And Differences Between The Soviet Union And The United States

In the period after World War II, from the late 1940’s up until the 1990’s, the United States and their allies were engaged in a “cold” war with the Soviet Union and its allies. Except for minor proxy wars between countries supported by the respective sides, no major wars were fought between the U.S. and the USSR. Nonetheless, tensions were extremely high for many years and the two superpowers constantly went back and forth trying to best the other. Likely the most well-known of these competitions was the Space Race. Battling for cosmic supremacy from the late 1950’s to 1969, the two countries traded many victories over the years and pushed each other to their technological apexes.

Various disputes between the U.S.A and USSR during WWII, led to distrust and resentment between the two nations. The USSR had made a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany which left Hitler able to conquer parts of Eastern Europe unchecked. The United States blamed the Soviet Union for allowing Hitler to grow in strength. The Soviet Union also invaded

Soviet Union would have ben set until the Soviets allowed the U.S. free trade in eastern Europe. But this of course was not what the Soviet Union wished to have in the region. So, the U.S. put too much pressure on the Soviets through plans such as the Marshall Plan and this in return put the USSR on the defensive. Once the USSR entrenched itself to protect its interests, no room to

Over the past several decades, there have been great tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union which continue into what is known today as Russia. Suspicions and tensions between these two countries increased greatly during and directly after World War II, particularly between 1941 and 1949.

Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union have always been complicated. Over the entire 20th century they have been close allies to bitter rivals. The stark differences in each of their political systems prevented the USA and the USSR from maintaining a close political friendship and understanding, and even to the very edge of war.

When trying to figure out the factors that lead to the cause of the Cold War, it is best to look at other factors as well. It is best to look at both the Soviet Union and the USSR's policies and plan. For example, the United States held true to their idea of Capitalism while also being cautious of Soviet Communism. When Europe was in desperate need to rebuild after World War II, The United States made monumental moves to prevent the spread of Communism as seen with the passing of the Marshall Plan which had been a reaction to the coup in Czechoslovakia. The Marshall plan was designed to give immediate economic help to Europe. There was a confliction of deciding whether or not to allow the Soviets to join the plan or to exclude them. This aspect was solved by setting down strict criteria to qualify for American economic aid. This incident allowed the United States to investigate the financial records of applicant countries. However, the USSR would never tolerate this condition. The United States wanted to invite the USSR to join the Marshall Plan. The aim of the Marshall Plan was to revive European working economies so that political and social stability could ensue, and the other aim of the Marshall Plan was to safeguard the future of the U.S. economy. The Soviet reaction the the Marshall Plan was not very well. The Soviets rejected the Marshall Plan. The Soviets saw this as a prime example of American ¨dollar imperialism.¨ In other words, the Soviets

Despite the unsuccessful past during the Cold War years between the United States and the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan and his counterpart the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev during the 1980s should have focused on bright future by reducing the nuclear arms, because having a partnership, friendship and the common goal will move two nations toward success. On 1985, in an effort to improve the international situation, the United States and the Soviet Union have decided to hold a meeting in Switzerland, Geneva. It was a first official meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, to discuss reductions in nuclear weapons and talk about future partnerships. Geneva Summit led on to four further meetings in 1986 Reykjavik, in 1987 in Washington, Moscow in 1988, and the last one in New York Harbour in 1988.

During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union created an alliance to prevent Nazi Germany from spreading their fascist and radical ideals, but after the war, it quickly became apparent that both countries had intentions to exploit their previously stable relationship. Shortly after World War II, the Soviet Union made it their primary goal to expand their communist policies across Europe (and eventually the world). Their communist policies heavily contradicted the reason why the United States joined World War II, contrasted American ideals, and placed American democracy in jeopardy. Although relations seemed healthy shortly after the war, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union dwindled to war due to the United States’

In an article by George Kennan, he stated that we “must continue to regard the Soviet Union as a rival, not a partner in the political arena” (Doc 2). He continued, implying the impossibility of peaceful coexistence with the USSR (Doc 2). This impossibility of peaceful coexistence hinted at the eventual conflict that would come in the future. The United States wanted to charter against the Soviets. In the creation of NATO, they drew up a treaty stating, “The parties to this Treaty...are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their people, founded on the principle of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law” (Doc 3). The Allied countries had used ideas from their faults of World War II with Germany. They learned to never appease an aggressive country, as it would lead to further aggressiveness. In response to NATO, the Soviet Union drew up The Warsaw Pact, and forced it upon the Allies. This showed the taking of sides, but if either side would make a move, war will break out (Doc 4). In relation to future events, this formation of the pact instigated further tension as both countries felt the need to assert their

The relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union was very tense, especially during the Cold War. Prior to this war, during World War II, they worked together as allies. Both of them had different ways of economically thinking. The Soviet Union was communist and the United States was capitalist. However, during this time Russia wanted to spread communism across the world, but the United States aided the cessation of the spread.

He wanted the Soviet’s to change their government policy (Doc 3). America's national security policy for planning post-war was a cause of great discomfort for the Soviets. Due to this, the Soviets were much more conscious of America's post-war planning in which America planned to regain their previous interests and possibly gain more. America’s post-war planning and their use of the atomic bomb caused tension between them and the Soviet Union. After World War II, American political policies towards the Soviets changed severely.

In WWII, the US and the Soviet Union were allies as they regarded Nazi Germany as the mutual enemy, but this alliance eventually broke after Germany’s surrender (Trueman). One of the main reasons behind the tension between the US and the Soviet Union was the rising power and

Despite the U.S’s effort to come to a mutual agreement with the Soviets after the war at the Yalta Conference, tension has gradually progressed throughout the years that led to an even further separation between the two leading powers. In addition to, the Soviets disregarded the compromises made at the Yalta Conference to have free and fair elections in Europe, instead creating a buffer in Eastern Europe, settling Soviet satellites. By committing such actions, the U.S automatically became suspicious and concluded that the Soviets were ultimately compelled to spread communism. The U.S further distrusted the Soviets when they secretly signed the Nonaggression Pact with the Nazis, to acquire half of Poland for security reasons, so Germany doesn’t invade Russia. This pact made it clearly evident for the U.S that the Soviets are not loyal, that their primary goal is to protect their own interests or assets first, and moral or obligatory issues involving other countries second. The Soviet Union had their own reasons for not trusting the U.S too because they claim them to be just as interested in protecting their own interests and had their own motives for

There are a multitude of factors and events that contributed towards Cold War tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Many of these were explained in detail by Robert J. McMahon in "The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction". Ideologically, the Americans and the Soviets had very different visions and goals when it came to running their respective countries. While the United States' capitalist system gave their citizens many freedoms, Russia's communist ways limited its inhabitants in nearly every way possible, so that the government's officials could have maximum control. These vastly different foundational belief systems were bound to cause tensions in international relations between the two countries. Sociologically,

Instead of the U.S. and the Soviet Union fighting head on, they competed by controlling and influencing other countries(Jeffery, Riley, 4). The U.S. affiliated themselves with West Berlin just like the Soviets associated themselves with Cuba. It escalated to nuclear tension when the U.S. placed weapons in Turkey and Italy(The Choices Program). The U.S had many more missiles than the Soviets had at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They also produced missiles much faster than the Soviets. The Soviet Union knew these disadvantages and were very aware of what the U.S. could do(Schwarz).