The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the
greatest conflicts of the twentieth century. The belief that freedom and democracy would die
under communist rule caused the United States to start and continue waging a conflict that
would last for decades. Post World War II conferences such as Yalta destroyed the
relationship between the communists and the capitalists. After World War II, American political
policy towards the Soviet Union changed drastically. The change in president in the United
States in 1945 caused relations with Russia to worsen. Also, other political policies such as the
Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan added to the deterioration of the relationship between
the United States and the Soviet Union. Fear of communism caused the United States
government to use propaganda to raise Cold War anxieties. Furthermore, the American media
influenced the attitudes of Americans, making a hatred of communism spread through the nation.
Thus, through its political policy and propaganda, the United States was resposible for the Cold
The first of tensions between America and the Soviets arose out of post-World War II
conferences between the 'big three' of America, the Soviet Union and Great Britain. At the
conference held in Yalta in February of 1945, Stalin, the Russian leader, agreed to hold free
and fair elections.1 When Harry S. Truman became president after the death of Franklin
Roosevelt, he accused Stalin of not holding up to that agreement made at Yalta.2 Stalin
responded to Truman's accusation with the following words,
"I am ready to fulfill your request and do everything
possible to reach a harmonious solution. But you
demand too much of me. In other words, you demand
that I renounce the interests of security of the Soviet
Union, but I cannot turn against my country."3
Truman was angered by this, and...