American interests after the Second World War became different from those of the Soviet Union, resulting in the cold war that contributed to the division between the United States and the Soviets. Communism was becoming a powerful force and a reason for war in various parts of the world as the Soviet Union sought to attain dominance. On the other hand, the United States was mandated to aid in the containment of the Soviet Union’s influence. As a result, there was division as America conflicted with communist nations and defended those who did not support the ideology. The current paper uses examples to present the issues that led to the division between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
One of the incidences that underscore the issues between the United States and the Soviets was the sovereignty of Israel. After the Second World War, there was a growing need to settle the Jewish in Palestine, a move that caused a stir between the United States and the Soviets. Supporting the Jew meant upholding imperialism and capitalism while supporting the Arabs was linked to communism. As a result, in a quest to liberate the Jews and accord them a nation of their own, a Jewish state was deemed necessary. Unfortunately, it was a cause of tension between the U.S. and the Soviets because Arabs and their supporters, including the Soviets, were opposed to the idea while the U.S. lobbied for a Jewish free state (Berkin et al. 2014). Thereby, such disagreement between the U.S. and the Soviets created hostility between the two units.
The use of an Atomic bomb by the Soviets on American nuclear power in China further escalated the tension between the two units. The Soviets aimed at imposing its schemas on the entire world, and, since America was its strongest opposing force, planned to stage a nuclear attack in 1954 (Berkin et al. 2014). The U.S., on the other hand, spent funds strengthening its military base in defense against the Soviets in case of an attack. Directed by a pentagon-state department committee with a fanatic faith asserting that the Soviets would dominate the world, America held a different ideology that resulted in the two regions falling out from each other. The two countries were vigilant of each other and ready to fight the other if necessary, displaying the tension and issues between them.
A third scenario highlighting the conflict between the U.S. and the Soviets was evident in Korea, which resulted in present-day North and South Korea. The Soviets took control of North Korea, while South Korea went under the influence of America. While the Soviets strived to disseminate the idea of communism, the U.S. was bent on suppressing it so that when the two forces left Korea, hostile regimes emerged (Berkin et al. 2014). While the Soviets clinched victory the first time, and South Korea lost most of its territory, America supported Korea in reclaiming its land, thereby accelerating the division between the Soviets and America.
Initially, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies as they had similar interests: defeating the common enemies, Germany and Italy. However, a difference in philosophical ideas resulted in the division between these two nations. The punch line is that these two geographical regions differed in their government systems, whether communist or capitalist and various incidences depict the occurrences of conflicts due to these differences, as discussed in this paper. The result is that each region strengthened its military base as each sought to defend its ideology and attain dominance.
Reference
Berkin, Carol, Christopher L. Miller, Robert W. Cherny, and James L. Gormly. 2014. Making America, A History of the United States Volume 2: Since 1865. 7th ed. Stamford: Cengage Learning.