The Causes of the Cold War: Ideology, Security Dilemmas, and Misperceptions
The causes of the Cold War cannot be reduced to a single trigger. The conflict grew from ideological incompatibility, security dilemmas in a rapidly shifting post-1945 balance of power, and mutual misperceptions that hardened suspicion into policy. Together, these forces transformed uneasy wartime allies into enduring adversaries and shaped world politics for nearly half a century. Ideological Fault Lines After 1945 The Second World War ended with two victorious coalitions that never shared a common vision of the peace that should follow. On one side stood a United States committed—at least in its self-understanding—to liberal democracy, open markets, and a rules-based order that would bind power through institutions. On the other stood a Soviet Union forged by revolution, convinced that capitalism was crisis-prone and exploitative, and determined to secure socialism…
