The rivalry between the two blocks was rooted in the differences in how these nations approached ideology and politics, as well as the cultural diversity of these nations. The USSR’s leaders promoted communism, while the United States was the greatest example of democracy at that time. These differences in the way the states viewed their development and future created tensions between them, even though prior to 1946, they fought against a common enemy.
Churchill was one of the first politicians who openly spoke about the conflict between the Soviet Union and the English-speaking world. He was the first one to use the term “the iron curtain” that characterized the USSR’s division from the rest of the world (“Iron curtain speech,” n.d.). The strengths of the English-speaking world were the alliance with the United States, which was the most developed economy at that time. Moreover, the state has invested in the development of its industries and focused on reforms to support its further economic development. Additionaly, the Western states were democracies, which meant that they had a similar vision regarding freedom and political power. The fact that these states’ people spoke English helped find agreement in the fight against the Soviet Union.
The weaknesses of the English-speaking world were the lack of focus on military power. In his speech, Churchill mentioned that the Soviet Union’s leaders viewed a lack of regard for military power as a weakness (“Iron curtain speech,” n.d.). This suggests that that state paid much attention to military strength as opposed to the English-speaking world. Additionally, the United States was cautious about allying with Great Britain due to the latter’s decreasing power, which was another weakness.
References
Iron curtain speech. (n.d.). The National Archives. Web.