GicellaWhite

TheBattleofBelief

Acoldwarisnotaliteralwarwithguns,bombsanddeaths.Acoldwarisabattleof
beliefsandperspectiveofhowthegovernmentshouldberan.ThecoldwarbetweentheUnited
StatesandtheSovietUniontookplacebetween1945to1991.ThecausesoftheColdWar
werethedifferentphilosophicalbeliefsofthegovernment.
InFebruaryof1945presidentoftheunitedstatesFranklinRooseveltmetwithJoseph
StalintheleaderoftheUSSRalongwithWinstonChurchilltheprimeministerofGreatBritain.
AtthisconferencetheyagreedtodivideGermanyintoAmerican,British,FrenchandSoviet
zones.LaterontheAmerican,British,andFrenchzoneswerejoinedtogethertocreateWest
Germany.PresidentFranklinRooseveltandWinstonChurchillrejectedStalinsrequestwhich
wasaskingthattheGermanspaytheSovietUniontwentymilliondollarsinwardamages.At
thisconference,RooseveltrequestedthatStalindeclarewaronJapan.Theatomicbombhad
notyetbeentestedandRooseveltwantedandneededtheirhelp.Stalinpromisedtoenterthe
warassoonasGermanysurrendered.ShortlyafterthismeetingtheUnitedNationswas
created.
TheUnitedNationswasanorganizationtokeepthepeacebetweencountries.Thistype
organizationfoundedafterWorldWarIbutfailedbecausetheUnitedStatesrefusedtojoin.
AfterpresidentFranklinRooseveltdiedApril12th,1945.AfterhisdeathvicepresidentHarryS.
Trumantookofficeeventhoughhewasveryunprepared.HarrysfirstmeetingwithJoseph
StalintookplaceJulyoftheyear1945intheBerlinSuburbofPotsdam.AtthePotsdammeeting

presidentTrumangotwindthattheatomicbombhadalreadybeentestedinNewMexicoin
hopestoscareStalin.EventhoughhedidfrightenhimStalinalreadyknewabouttheatomic
bombduetothefacthehadSovietspiesintheUnitedStates.NottoolongafterthePotsdam
meetingPresidentTrumangotupsetwiththeSovietsforeignprimeministerwhenhedidnot
allowPolishelections.TheSovietUnionformedthesatellitenationwhichallowedtheSovietsto
dominatethetothewesternbordersofGermany.
InFebruaryoftheyear1946Stalingaveaspeechpredictingtriumphovercapitalism.
EventhoughhewantedcommunismtodominatetheSovietUniondidnothaveastrongenough
armytotaketheUnitedStatesheadon.GeorgeKennan,atopAmericandiplomatstationedin
Moscow,Russia,helpedestablishtheideaofcontainment.Containmentpreventedcommunism
fromspreadinganyfurtherthanitalreadyhad.

DuringthistimeandtothisdaytheUnitedStatesgovernmentisademocracy.A
democraticgovernmentiswherethepeoplecontrolthegovernmentmeaningtheyelectwho
goesintoofficeaspresident,governor,senatorandotherrepresentatives.Duringthistimethe
SovietUniontheUSSRorasweknowittodayRussiasformofgovernmentwascommunist.A
communistgovernmentiswherethepeoplehavenochoiceinwhoiselectedandeveryoneno
matterwhatkindofjobapersonmayhavetheyallmakethesameamountofmoney.Ina
communistgovernmenteveryoneisequalandnoonereceivesanythingmoreorlessthanwhat
theyneed.Acommunisticgovernmentbelievesinonlyprovidingwhatisneededandnotwhat
iswanted.Acapitalisticgovernmentthepeopledecidedhowmuchtheyneedandhowmuch
theywantofaproduct.

Inademocraticgovernmentthepeoplerule.Peoplecontroltheeconomybecauseit

basedondemandthereisnolimitonhowmuchofacertainproductanindividualmaybuy.Ina

communistgovernmentthegovernmentdecideseverything.Howmuchofaproductan
individualneeds,whatkindofhousetheylivein,andhowmuchmoneytheyneedtomaketo
maintainthemselvesandtheirfamily.Democraticgovernmentsallowthepeopletovoteforthe
peopletheybelievearebestforwhateverpositiontheymayberunningfor.
Acommunistgovernmentdoesnotallowthepeopletovotenorhaveanysayinthe
peoplewhowillbetakingpower.Mostleadersofcommunistcountriesarenotevenelectedor
chosen.Mostleadersareappointedortheirfatherwastheleaderandtheyhavetotakethe
leadortheyforcetheirwayintopower.Forexample,JosephStalinkilledallhisotheropponents
tobecometheleaderoftheUSSR.
AdemocraticleaderbelievesintheBillofRightsoftheindividualperson.Forexample
theUnitedStateshastheBillofRights.TheBillofRightsistheanothernameusedforthefirst
TenAmendmentsoftheUnitedStatesConstitution.Ademocraticleaderbelievesintherightsof
therightsofagroupofpeople.Forexample,theUnitedStatesBillofRightstheFirst
Amendment,havethefreedomofreligion,speechandpress,acommunistgovernmentdoes
nothave.Ademocraticgovernmentbelievesinwhatsbestforeachperson.Acommunist
governmentbelievesinwhatisbestfortheentiregrouppeople
EventhoughtheUnitedStatesandtheUSSRweretheonlytwopowerfulcountriesleft
intheworldafterWorldWarIItheyhadtwoverydifferentviewsonhowapowerful,successful
countryshouldberan.Thiswarwasmainlyawarofhesaidhesaid.Everyonehasadifferent
viewonhowacountryshouldberan.Acountryshouldberuninthemostfairmannerandfor
whatisbestforthecountryandthecountry'speopleandgovernmentwhetheritbea
democraticgovernmentoracommunistgovernment.