Cold War Ideologies
The Cold War was the result of clashing ideologies between the two post-war super powers, the USSR and the United States of America. The Cold War began as the allies connived what to do with the broken Germany. The two super powers America and the USSR, both had their ideologies which they wanted to implement upon the newly formed world. It is debatable however to what extent this difference in ideology caused the Cold War.
In February 1945, three months before the end of the war in Europe, Germany was facing defeat and the big three (Rooselvelt, Churchill and Stalin) met at the Yalta Conference. They elucidated the state of the war, that as Stalin had requested a second front had been openned with the landing of the allied troops in Normandy in 1944. It was also agreed upon that Germany would have to pay reparations for the damage caused and that 50% of the 20 billion that should be payed will go to the USSR. Post-war Germany was elabortated and it was connived that Germany shall be de-Nazified, demilitarised and disarmed. The greatest problem however was post-war Poland. The Allies and Stalin agreed that the polish boarder should move back to where it had been before the Russo-Polish war of 1921. This served to the USSR as a bufffer zone so it would have enough time to react should a country try and attack. In return Poland would be compensated with a land gain from Germany. Another critical agreement, which the British and Amercians saw as their biggest success was that Stalin promised to hold free elections in the East European countries. The ideologies which the United States and the UK both follow call for free elections, the USSR however follows one where free elections do not exist. If Stalin knew that that he would later decide to not hold free elections then he must have been aware that future tensions will inevitably arise. Furthermore Stalin agreed to join the United Nations and fight in the Japanese war. In February 1945 all seemed to go well, as the difficult points such as the borders of Poland were succesfully discussed. However most decisions that were made were in favour of the USSR such as the boarders of Poland and the reparations from Germany, though no-one objected yet as the allies wanted to avoid any further conflict and so acquiesced. There was mistrust though, especially between Churchill and Stalin however this didn't have any greater effects in Yalta and the allies thought that the foundation had been layed for a stabil post-war modern world.
