The cold war was a war that lasted from 1945 to 1991 and involved Soviet Russia and America. At the end of WWII, the U.S was upset that Stalin signed the Non-aggression pact with Germany, the enemy. Russia, however had it's own reasons: it was upset that America didn't invade German occupied France prior to 1944. On July 17, 1945, Harry S. Truman, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill (later clement Attlee, who beat Churchill in the election that took place during the time of the conference) met in Potsdam to discuss issues regarding postwar Germany, reparations for Europe, etc. The United States goals were to encourage democracy (Private property, freedom of enterprise, freedom of economic choice, free market and limited government)in other countries in hopes of stopping the spread of communism, rebuild Europe's government (therefore stimulating America's economy) and reunite Germany to stabilize it and increase security in Europe.
Soviet Russia, however, had very opposing goals: to spread communism in other countries (with such characteristics as loss of private property, loss of property rights, government controlled labor, a central bank, and government control of education, among others), rebuild its war ravaged economy using Europe’s industrial equipment and raw materials, and control Eastern Europe to protect Soviet borders, among other things, with the latter of the three being the most crucial to the soviets. The Soviets wanted to protect themselves from another western invasion, so they occupied a strip of countries along the it's borders, believing that this would act as a "buffer" or a wall of protection, which would later be known as "The Iron Curtain".
America later adopted a policy of containment, trying to stop the spread of communism. President Truman created the Truman Doctrine, which gave aid to countries that rejected communism, and the Marshall plan was used, which gave food, machinery, 12.5 billion dollars and other materials to rebuild western Europe, in hopes of improving economic status in Europe, thereby stopping the influence and appeal of communism. Containment was used in Korea and Greece, as well.
Soviet Russia, however, had very opposing goals: to spread communism in other countries (with such characteristics as loss of private property, loss of property rights, government controlled labor, a central bank, and government control of education, among others), rebuild its war ravaged economy using Europe’s industrial equipment and raw materials, and control Eastern Europe to protect Soviet borders, among other things, with the latter of the three being the most crucial to the soviets. The Soviets wanted to protect themselves from another western invasion, so they occupied a strip of countries along the it's borders, believing that this would act as a "buffer" or a wall of protection, which would later be known as "The Iron Curtain".
America later adopted a policy of containment, trying to stop the spread of communism. President Truman created the Truman Doctrine, which gave aid to countries that rejected communism, and the Marshall plan was used, which gave food, machinery, 12.5 billion dollars and other materials to rebuild western Europe, in hopes of improving economic status in Europe, thereby stopping the influence and appeal of communism. Containment was used in Korea and Greece, as well.