History events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History events - Essay Example For instance, regional wars in Afghanistan, Korea, and Vietnam heightened the differences and tensions between the US and the USSR. Consequently, the cold war shaped the foreign policies of the US as the country prepared to protect itself and its citizens against any potential wars. The first major event that occurred during the cold war is the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). FDR had ben pivotal in creating the Axis alliance that emerged victorious during the World War II (Murray, 53). The Axis alliance brought together the US, the USSR, and the United Kingdom with their allies. There was mutual respect between the three leaders; FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill, which helped to promote good working relations during the World War. However, FDR’s death in April 1945 changed the relations between the three countries and might as well have been the course of the cold War. FDR’s successor, President Harry S. Truman, adopted a different approach in his relations with the East, including the USSR. At this time, the anti-communism stances were developing strongly in the West. President Truman continued his public negative statements about the USSR, worsening the relations between the two countries and their allies (Murray, 77). The second major event during the cold war was the formation of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which brought together countries in Europe and the US to form a strong union that would counter the growing influence of the USSR. The original founders of NATO are The US, United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Iceland, Luxembourg, Holland, and Belgium (Murray, 115). NATO created a unified force under the US, which was able to counter the influence of the USSR in the East. The other prominent event in the cold war was the enactment of the Mutual Security Act in 1951, under President Harry S. Truman. The Act was a declaration by