After the Potsdam Conference, which took place from the 17th of July to the 2nd of August 1945, the Allied countries, mainly the USA, the UK, and the USSR, were moving steadily apart from each other in terms of their interests, leaving Europe torn apart into the eastern and the western blocs. The ensuing tension between the two blocs, which was characterized by the constant fear of atomic war, is commonly referred to as the Cold war. The reason for this division between the old allies is most often attributed to the opposing ideologies of the west and the east. However, upon closer inspection of the events that took place, and especially of the foreign policies of the west, it becomes clear that the Cold War was not so much a clash of ideologies, as a clash between an economically superior Superpower, and a defensive orientated, weakened Soviet Union.
             During the Yalta Conference in the February of 1945 until the Potsdam Conference in July of 1945 some dramatic changes in the leadership of the Allied countries took place. Roosevelt had died, leaving the, in foreign relations inexperienced, Harry Truman to lead the country. Churchill on the other hand had lost a general election against Clement Atlee. Truman especially managed to create distrust between the West and the USSR. Eleven days after he became President of the United States on the 12th of April 1945 he had his first confrontation with the Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. Because he knew little about foreign policy he began to berate Molotov and the Soviet Government for not handling Poland in the way that was decided at the Yalta Conference. Not only did he ignore the fact that Poland was a vital part of Soviet Security, but he spoke to Molotov in such an impolite fashion, that Molotov paled from anger. It was only after this disastrous diplomatic move that Truman realised that Poland was a key issue of the Soviet Security.
             Truman and the other western politicians made...