America and the Soviet Union collaborated during the Second World War with the aim to liberate people from Nazi rule and tyrannical Japan. However, as the war concluded and the British Empire weakened, soviet-American relations deteriorated. Many blamed the conflicting ideologies of communism and capitalism, labelling the conflict as inevitable. On the other hand, the power vacuum created by Britain’s hegemonic retreat, made way for an American for an American quest for leadership and control in the post-war world order. The victorious United States was placed in direct competition with the equally victorious Soviet Union, creating a new international conflict and power struggle. It has been argued that these hostilities were heightened by Stalin’s paranoia, America and Britain’s reversal of the Yalta agreements and America’s advantageous social, economic and political standing as the war expired.

Harry S. Truman, President of the United States at the close of the Second World War, professed in 1947 to Congress that “one of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of the c

It is possible to argue that fundamentally the ideologies of Communism and Capitalism created such a collision in interests that peaceful relations were unattainable once the common fear of Germany was eradicated. Hence, explaining the rapid conversion from ally to enemy. Regardless of this, the corrosion of the soviet-American relationship was stimulated by America’s short sighted pursuit of self interest. It became apparent before the end of the Second World War that America was preoccupied in establishing a world order conducive to their interests. Through the reversal of the Yalta agreement and the secrecy of the atomic bomb, suspicions were heightened. But, America additionally violated its advantageous position to determine control over the Soviet Union’s power, ultimately ensuring itself hegemonic status. Therefore, a possible explanation for why the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during the war but enemies at the war’s end, was Americas altruistic search for power and control in the post-war world order at the expense of peaceful relations with the USSR.

On the other hand, in 1944 when it became apparent that Germany would be defeated, Roosevelt began to consider the post-war world order. His concern was to ensure American prosperity and peace as well as the assertion of American leadership, and not the preservation of a united ‘Big Three’. The emergence of an American hegemonic power, in the latter stages of war, gave prominence to the scale of influence America had in its possession. In unison with this leadership status was the responsibility to prevent the rise of powers in Germany and Japan, but also to create a durable and secure world order. Roosevelt, in the Bretton Woods agreement, envisaged a liberal international economic order which would promote free trade and stable currency rates, ultimately increasing global prosperity. Stalin took an insignificant part in negotiations as the agreement would not benefit a state-controlled trading system, but cooperated regardless to illustrate their willingness to compromise and to limit international tensions, an effort America failed to make. Roosevelt’s intentions at the conference may have been founded on the ideal of an economic balance and a global economy that would eradicate an obstacle for possible peace, but their potential domination allowed the creation of a world order conducive to American interests only and not those of soviet-American relations. For instance, the reconstruction loan promised to the Soviet Union by Roosevelt was revoked by Truman, accentuating American control over the Soviets. Also, it was difficult for Stalin to perceive a place for the Soviet Union within America’s liberal international econo

Some topics in this essay:
Soviet Union, Truman Doctrine, Bretton Woods, Roosevelt Churchill, Germany Japan, Soviet Union’s, United Nations, World War, Union America, Britain France, soviet union, world war, post-war world, soviet-american relations, sphere influence, american control, soviet union’s, control post-war world, yalta agreements, roosevelt churchill, germany japan, british empire weakened, ideologies communism capitalism, liberal international economic, soviet union america,