who started the cold war

Cold War Responsibility Debate

Historians have debated the responsibility for starting the Cold War, with early views blaming Stalin, later revisionist historians pointing to the U.S., and recent scholars adopting a more nuanced perspective.

Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was a U.S. policy in 1947 to provide financial aid to countries threatened by Communist expansion, exemplified by the aid given to Greece and Turkey to prevent Soviet influence in the eastern Mediterranean.

Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan, initiated in 1947, aimed to rebuild war-torn Europe with $13 billion in economic aid, excluding the Soviet Union, and is believed to have accelerated the division of Europe into competing blocs.

Containment Policy

George Kennan advocated for a policy of containment against Soviet aggression in 1947, leading to the formal American policy of containment after the Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948.

Berlin Blockade and Airlift

The Berlin Blockade by the Soviets in 1948 aimed to prevent the creation of a separate West German state, leading to the Western powers' response with the Berlin Airlift to supply the people in West Berlin.