What were the US and USSR competing for?
Resources
Ideology
Military
Imperalism & Empire
Economy
Superiority
Political, Economical influence
Warsaw pact, iron curtain (USSR)
Marshall plan (US)
Economy
Eisenhower aimed to strengthen the USA's economy
Eisenhower's wanted to use cheap defense to answer the threat of the Soviet Union, therefore developing nuclear weapons
An ideological and political barrier to prevent the eastern bloc from being influenced by the west
Seeked to stop the spread of communism by strengthening links with European countries (rebuilding infrastructure, trade, etc)
Global domination
Cost gap between TNT and nuclear material
"Bomber Gap", "Missile Gap"
Creates a "buffer zone" for itself, barring against European countries
Eisenhower's "new look" policy - making of so many nuclear weapons that the USA could answer any Soviet threat with massive retaliation
Colonization
USSR's expansion in the east to prevent being attacked after Operation Barbarossa
Cuban missile crisis (USSR)
Resulted in excessive production of nuclear weapons
Increasingly friendly relations between the two countries, allies during the cold war
Land
Cuba became dependent on the USSR's markets
USSR's expansion into Eastern Europe
Communism vs Capitalism
The Marshall Plan
Beginning of arms race: US wanted defense against the Soviet Union in case of invasion
Allegiance of new independent nations
United States was based upon capitalism and democracy while the Soviet Union was based upon communism and dictatorship.
States declared independence after WW2; US and USSR didn't compete to colonize any countries (but affected them in other ways)
Vietnam War (US)
Korean War - catalyzed the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam War
Communist China had control over northern Vietnam at the time (1949)
The US wanted to prevent the spread of communism to southern Vietnam and the rest of Asia, so it supported the south Vietnam government
Korean War (US)
designed to prevent the further advancement of Soviet power in Europe
(Similar motive to the Vietnam War) USSR occupied the northern portion of Korea, while American forces took a similar action in southern Korea
Khrushchev wanted a balance of nuclear weapons, therefore aimed for a range advantage
US Missiles were in Europe, so the USSR retaliated. "Taste of its own medicine"
USSR was ideologically aligned with Cuba, using the relationship to their advantage
Imperialism influence of nations