The origins of the cold war
The cold war started in the 1940's because the Soviets wanted to use eastern Europe as a security buffer and the west wanted to establish free democracies and stop the Stalinist expansion. It continued, with varying degrees of antagonism, up to 1989. The cold war was ignited over the issue of post war eastern Europe. For many years it had been the meeting point of east and west, a security buffer for the east, and viewed by the west as a launching pad for an attack on the east, and thus was strategically important for both sides. In 1941, as in 1914 Germany attacked through eastern Europe and plunged deep into Russia. The western powers tried to hold their grip on eastern Europe by declaring war on Germany, but they were unable to stop German advancement. By the conclusion of the second world war the soviet armed forces occupied eastern Europe and the west got back the west. The western powers were dissatisfied with their gains, and were certainly not willing to let the Soviets have eastern Europe. The Soviets wanted eastern Europe as a security buffer to fend off an attack from the west.
In July 1945 the leaders of America, Britain and Russia met. President Roosevelt had died and had been replaced several months ago by Harry Truman and less than a week ago Winston Churchill was not re-elected. This left the soviets with a distinct advantage. The conference made an agreement that after the war that Germany would be divided into four and occupied jointly. This stopped what the west believed was Soviet expansion.
The west wanted to stop what they saw as Stalinist expansionism. The apitimy of this conflict is the example of Poland. The Soviets wanted a government in Poland that was pro-Stalinistic. The west wanted a free democratic system of government. The east and west could not even decide where the Polish border should lie. The war against Hitler had finished, the war against the allies was just starting. There was nothing that the west could do to remove the Russians short of going to war and neither side was willing to do that yet. This meant that the Russians stayed in eastern Europe using it as a security buffer and exploiting it for its resources.
The American attitude towards the occupation of eastern Europe and their attempts to remove them was because of several influences. There was many voters that came from eastern Europe that were out raged, Churchill, whom Truman greatly respected, was sending him anti-Stalinistic telegrams, Truman's advisors told him that the Russians needed American money to help rebuild, America had in its possession nuclear weapons which the Soviets did not and the two blocs had clashing ideologies. Due to this Truman was overconfident, he thought no matter he demanded the Soviets to do, they would comply. On may 8 1945, Truman cancelled the lend-lease shipments to Russia and placed an embargo on shipments Russia bound. Stalin was most displeased, Truman counter-commanded his order and the supplies resumed. America had sent a clear, albeit with timing that bordered on the psychotic, after it no longer needed Soviet help in the pacific war the pipeline of goods to Russia would be closed. That year Stalin asked America for a loan totalling $7 million. It was denied in an attempt to make Stalin more co-operative and allow American investors to invest in the Soviet sphere of influence. Stalin then announced the Molotov plan, an economic plan allowing for the "technical and economic independence of the Soviet union." The Russians demanded that the American government recognise the communist government of Poland or break off relations, America complied.
On August 8 the Soviet army had joined in the fight for Japan. America had already indicated that it would not continue the lend lease, this meant that the question of reparations from Germany was vital to Stalin, but circumstances were against him. The east did not have much industry, where as the west did. However the west could not function without raw materials, Stalin negotiated a deal with the Americans. After this meeting, Truman's attitude towards the Russians changed, he now believed that they were impossible to deal with due to their clashing ideologies. The financial position and the atomic bomb gave the Americans a false sense of security. The bomb appeared to be the answer for the Americans, they could impose their will by nuclear threats, they could keep their position in Europe strong without maintaining a large army.
In 1947 the communist party was attempting to take over from Greece, the British economy could no longer support the Greeks that opposed them. When this was announced to the American government, the Truman doctrine was issued. Truman declared that the United States would defend any national government threatened by subversion. This was a veiled threat by the US To use its superior nuclear weapons. Later the Marshall Plan was announced helping to rebuild the world so the US Would have a greater market.
In 1948 the Soviets closed off west Berlin by road, this was an attempt to gain the rest of the German capital and to turn voters against Truman. Rather than give Berlin up to the communists, for eleven months the west airlifted supplies into west Berlin. The Russians gave up. The west had won.
The cold war began not because of one specific thing, but a multitude of misinterpretations and overreactions on both sides. Both sides had conflicting views and ideologies, and both were aggressive.