The Cold War period was very important in the development of the world at the dawn of the 21st century. As the conflict subsided in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the United States was already positioning itself as the world's sole superpower while Russia had taken a back seat as the world leader. To better understand the current situation, we must return to the origins of the Cold War and its true causes. The end of World War II set the global dynamic for decades to come, with the immense damage across Europe leaving many victims. countries in bad shape. The United States lost lives in combat, but the fighting was nowhere near as bad as European countries and none of it was on their soil. This advantage has allowed their economy to prosper and establish itself as a world leader. Russia, on the other hand, suffered huge losses from the war. They were not in the thick of the action and were also able to avoid the territorial damage of the war. Ultimately, as George Kennan warned in his telegram, the United States and the Soviet Union managed to position themselves as leaders in a way where conflict was inevitable. To better understand this conflict, we must go back to 1917 and the Bolshevik Revolution. Many, including David Foglesong, believe this is the start of the Cold War, as it was the first clash between communism in the east and capitalism in the west. The communist Red Army was trying to overthrow the Tsar's White Army and the Americans helped the Tsar. These were the first efforts to avoid communism, but they failed and thus began its slow but steady growth, by 1946 communism controlled all of Eastern Europe. What most people would consider the start of the Cold War and I agree is 19.... ... middle of paper ...... The USSR nor the United States are the solely responsible for the Cold War. The American historian JL Gaddis stated that "the Cold War arose from a complex interplay of external and internal developments", both of which were, in his view, outside the control of either country. . Additionally, both superpowers glorify the other's strength and threat, and much of the growing tension of the 1940s was the result of an "action and reaction" model. Tensions grew due to the war and thus led to inevitable conflict between the two countries, which then led to the Cold War. Ultimately, the Cold War was an inevitable clash between the Communist Party and the capitalists; coexistence at the top of the political world was impossible due to their opposing views. Both sides were responsible to some extent, but conflict was also inevitable..