Although, sometime throughout history we sided with the Soviet Union we had very different opinions in the Cold War. While we wanted a united Germany and an independent nation in Eastern Europe after the war. The Soviet goals wanted to divide Germany and Eastern Europe under communist control. These are very different goals for the two nations. They had completely different ideas on how to run a country. The U.S. wanted a united nation whereas Soviets wanted them to divide the country completely. Anyone can see why these two nations had their disagreements. These were also the countries involved in the Cold War.
View Image
Another American goal was to help the countries of Turkey and Greece. The Soviets just wanted to spread communism. These are very different goals. President Truman had asked Congress for money to help Turkey and Greece fight the communism. This event became known as the Truman Doctrine. This was also a new set course for American foreign policy. The Soviets were mostly focusing on the fact of spreading communism. This was their main goal for the Cold War. They wanted to spread it to Turkey and Greece and anywhere that they could get their hands on.
Go to fullsize image
Americans wanted to help countried resist communism from the Soviet's government. On the other side of things the Soviets created the Warshaw Pact. The Warshaw Pact was a former military alliance consiting of Bolgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR. The purpose of the Warshaw Pact was to promote the Soviet Bloc nations and represent the communist counterpart of NATO. It was established in 1955. The pact cause trouble for the Americans because they couldn't easliy attack the Soviets when they had numerous other countries ready to attack them at any time. So, really if the Americans would have attacked the Soviets they would have also attacked twelve other countries as well.
Go to fullsize image
After World War II Europe was in bad condidtion and needed help getting back up on their feet. So the Americans planned to help Europe do just that. While the Americans were trying to help the Europeans the Soviets wanted to gain total control of Europe. The Americans gave about 13 billion dollars in grants and loans to Western European nations in 1948. Although the American were helping out Euorpe immensly during the Cold War the Soviets were still trying to cause trouble. In June of 1948 Stalin decided to block all shipping frmwestern Germany in to West Berlin. Once again the Americans helped out West Berlin by airlifting supplies like: food, fuel, and clothing, into West Berlin.
Go to fullsize image
Finally, the Americans main goal was to protect Europe from the Soviets and their communism. Whereas, the Soviets wanted world domination. They kept trying to spread communism throughout the country and wanted to slowly take over the rest of the world. They tried to take over Europe but they Amercians were protecting them because they were just out of World War II and had alot of damage done to their country. They Soviets also put and iron cutain over Europe because Stalin was tightening his grip on Europe and trying to spread communism.
View Image
Helpful Words to Know
satellite states - is a nations politcally and economically dominated by another nation. This expression was morst commmonly used to describe the centeral and Eastern European countries of Warshaw Pact during thr Cold War. Those countries were politaclly controlled by the Soviet Union (from 1945 - 1948, until 1989)
Cold War - rivalry after WWII between the Soviet Union and its satellite states abd tge democratic countries of the Western World, under the leadership of the United States
Iron Curtain - a barrier to understanding and the exchange of information and ideas created by ideological, political, and military hostility of one country toward another, especially such as a barrier between the Soviet Union and its allies and other countries
Truman Doctorine - the policy of President Truman, as advocated in his adress to Congress on March 12, 1947, to provide military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey and, by extension, to any country threatened by Communism of any totaltaian ideology.
Marshall Plan - a plan for aiding the European Nations in economic recovery after WWII, proposed by U.S. Secertary of State George C. Marshall in 1947 and implemented in 1948 under Economic Cooperation Administration
Berlin Aircraft - a military operation in the late 1940's that brought food and other needed goods into West Berlin by air after the government of East Germany, which at that time surrounded West Berlin had cut off its supply routed. The United States joined with Western European nations in flying the supplies in. The aircraft was one of the early events of the Cold War.
North Atlanic Treaty Orginization (NATO) - an orginization put together in 1949, that pledged to settle things peacefully. The members were: Belgum, Canada, Denamrk, Berlin, Iceland, Italy, Luxenburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States. Greece, Spain, Turkey, and Germany joined later. France was a founding member but withdrew in 1967. The Warshaw Pact was signed by the Soviet Union and its allies largely in responce to the formation of NATO. Since the end of the Cold War Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined.
Warshaw Pact - former military alliance, consisting of Bolaaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland , Romania, USSR; Headquarters Moscow, USSR; purpose was to promote joint defence of the Soviet Bloc Nations; represented the communist countries of NATO; established in 1955
American Goals vs. Soviet Goals
Helpful Words to Know
Helpful Websites - http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/suez.htm