THE COLD WAR
Why did theCold War begin?
Despite being allies in World War II, fighting together against the Axis powers, great tension and resentment existed between the USSR and the United States. When the war ended in 1945, these diplomatic strains between the two great superpowers of the day erupted into outright mutual distrust and enmity, with the Western powers fearing the rise of Communist governments in Eastern Europe. Both sides began vying for international dominance and as the nuclear age had dawned, they built, tested and stockpiled immensely powerful weapons that could destroy the world.