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Explain the origins of Cold War competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.(1 point)

Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right after the end of the Vietnam War, once the U.S. had retreated from the country.
Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right after the end of the Vietnam War, once the U.S. had retreated from the country.

Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right at the beginning of the Korean War, when its alliance unraveled.
Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right at the beginning of the Korean War, when its alliance unraveled.

Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right after the end of World War II, when its alliance unraveled.
Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right after the end of World War II, when its alliance unraveled.

Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right at the start of World War II, when its alliance unraveled.
Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right at the start of World War II, when its alliance unraveled.

1 answer

Cold War competition began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union right after the end of World War II, when its alliance unraveled. During World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were allied against the common enemy of Nazi Germany. However, their underlying ideological differences—capitalism versus communism—created tensions that surfaced after the war.

As the Allies emerged victorious, disagreements over postwar arrangements in Europe and the treatment of Germany highlighted the growing rift. The U.S. promoted democratic governance and economic stability, while the Soviet Union sought to expand its influence and establish communist governments in Eastern Europe. This led to the division of Europe into Western and Eastern blocs, with the Iron Curtain symbolizing the ideological divide.

The failure to resolve these tensions, coupled with events like the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) and the establishment of NATO (1949) by Western nations in response to perceived Soviet aggression, solidified the emergence of the Cold War, characterized by political, military, and ideological rivalry.