What caused Cold War tensions?

The long-term causes of the Cold War are clear. Western democracies had always been hostile to the idea of a communist state. Further, The United States terminated Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union before the war was complete. Finally, the Soviet Union believed in communism.

What were the major effects of the cold war?

By the Cold War, we spurred the Soviet Union from exhaustion to great-power status, the atomic bomb, and space achievement. Our policies against communism in China had much the same effect there.

Why did Cold War tensions arise after World War II?

After the surrender of Germany and Japan, the two world powers maneuvered for decades to increase their spheres of influence around the globe, spurred on by competing ambitions and ideologies of capitalism and communism. Cold War calculations led to a divided Germany and U.S. involvement in wars in Korea and Vietnam.

Why was the Cold War important?

The Cold War was the most important political issue of the early postwar period. It grew out of longstanding disagreements between the Soviet Union and the United States. Reduced trade barriers, it was believed, would promote economic growth at home and abroad, and bolster stability with U.S. friends and allies.