The Cold War was a prolonged state of military and political tension between the powers of two dominant powers on opposite sides of the globe. One from the Western Bloc, or capitalist bloc, dominated by the United States (US), and the other from the Eastern Bloc, or communist bloc, powered by the Soviet Union (USSR). Obviously both very different, the opposing ideas of the superpowers supported the spread of their respective economic systems and strengthened their military powers. As a result, the two sides developed new weapons systems, amassed nuclear weapons, and competed in space exploration. But what really caused these tensions between the two? Why did their ideological differences make cooperation impossible? It all started at the end of the Second World War. In World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies against Germany and its allies. After defeating Germany, the Allies could not agree on what the European map should look like and how the borders should be drawn. Each side had dissimilar ideas about establishing and maintaining post-war security, with the Western allies wanting a security system established by democratic governments that allowed countries to resolve conflicts through international organizations. The Russians, on the other hand, with a huge number of deaths (estimated at 27 million) tried to increase security by dominating the internal affairs of neighboring countries. During the final period of the war, Stalin had created special training centers for communists around the world so that they could set up secret police forces loyal to Moscow as soon as the Red Army took control. Soviet agents then quickly took control of the media, especially radio, and then banned everything...... middle of paper......to the Soviet Union which had many reasons to want to punish Germany with all the losses they had. Americans did not understand why communism should spread because it completely destroys all individual freedom, and communists could not understand how capitalists could eliminate government control and inequality among people. In all, these misperceptions have created a new world. It only ended with the destruction of these extreme ideologies and the reunification of people who were separated only by fear. The Iron Curtain has fallen and today the Soviet Union can no longer exist. Through a series of agreements and treaties, the United States and Russia have reduced the number of nuclear weapons each possesses. With that, people in Nebraska, the United States, and Russia may begin to act as if they no longer have atomic bombs aimed at them. But of course the world still presents challenges.