The United States and the Soviet Union were allies in 1954

Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union were allies in 1954. The two had jointly triumphed over Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime in World War II. Within a few years, the onetime close war allies became enemies. They locked horns in a struggle to dominate the global ideological, military, economic and political struggle in a war that was later named the “cold war.” This war involved propaganda, threats and other means other than armed warfare. This paper briefly discusses the political and economic aspects, as well as the personal interests of the parties involved that shaped the cold war.

The tensions that would later escalate into the Cold War began when three leaders; Winston Churchill from Britain, Franklin D. Roosevelt from America and Josef Stalin of the Soviet met to strategize jointly in Tehran. Poland, which strategically lays between familiar foes Germany and Russia, became a major topic of discussion. The Soviet Union leader Stalin campaigned for a Communist Poland while Winston and Roosevelt maintained that the Polish ought to have a right to choose their system of government. For Stalin, the Polish issue was a matter of critical security interest since Germany had invaded Russia twice before via Poland. For the Germans and Americans, it was a matter of upholding their principle of self-determination. The three leaders later met and made some compromises; Stalin was allowed to have a communist Poland and he, in return, pledged to uphold the Anglo-American …