The Evolution of US-Soviet Relations Post-World War II

After the end of World War II, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union underwent a significant transformation. The wartime alliance that had been forged in the face of a common enemy began to crumble as the two superpowers found themselves on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum. The rise of professional militaries in the West is credited with accelerating the process of creating the modern nation-state, leading to increased tensions between the US and the USSR.

World War II transformed the United States from a midlevel global power to the leader of the “free world.” With this rapid rise in power and influence, the US found itself in direct competition with the Soviet Union, which sought to spread its communist ideology across the globe. It is often said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union, as Western nations sought to counter the spread of communism.

The Berlin Airlift, America's first major test of resolve during the Cold War and one of the largest humanitarian aid missions in history, highlighted the growing divide between the US and the USSR. As tensions escalated, both countries began to engage in a series of proxy wars and covert operations in an effort to gain the upper hand in the global power struggle.

For most of its seven decades in existence, the Soviet Union was a socialist country with a command economy, while the United States embraced capitalism and democracy. World War II provided two contradictory lessons: war must be avoided at all costs and democracies must resist aggression, according to Stanford analysts. The emergence of nuclear weapons further complicated the relationship between the US and the USSR, as both countries raced to develop and stockpile these weapons of mass destruction.

In this report, the Emeritus Chair compares the key trends in civil and military power in the United States, China, Russia, highlighting the shifting balance of power in the post-World War II era. The Cold War era saw both countries engage in a tense standoff, with the threat of nuclear annihilation looming large over the world.

Residents of Oak Ridge, Tennessee fill the town square to celebrate the surrender of Japan, August 14, 1945. Photo by Ed Westcott, US Army.