What caused the Cold War?
1 Answer
Basically Communism and Capitalism were incompatable at a basic level.
Explanation:
Communism was successful in the Post war period with the Chinese Revolution and the spread of Communist influence across the Eastern Bloc. The Soviet Union saw its war time success as a vindication of the Revolution.
The US and other Western Powers scrambled to counter its successes.
The Private Property and Capitalist Economy of the United States could not find common ground with the Command Economy and State Property of the Communist bloc. The respective parts had security concerns after the War and the advent of Nuclear Weapons made warfare even more dangerous than it had been.
Both sides began to peddle influence, and military and economic aid to weaker countries. Proxy Wars tested weapons systems and probed for weakness.
World War 2 encouraged the view that ideological enemies should be be completely subjugated so there was no possible negotiated peace. The collapse of one or both was the only possible resolution.
