1. Resentment about history
   1. USSR did not trust Britain and the US
      1. They had tried to destroy the Russian revolution in 1918
      2. Stalin thought that they had not helped the USSR in WW2 enough
      3. Truman and his policy of containment would have annoyed Stalin
   2. USA and Britain did not trust Stalin
      1. He had signed the Nazi/Soviet pact in 1939
2. Ideological differences
   1. Type of government
      1. USA
         1. Democratic
         2. Elected by the people
            1. They had a choice of candidates from different parties
      2. USSR
         1. One party dictatorship
         2. People could only vote for Communists
   2. Economic system
      1. USA
         1. Capitalist
         2. Private individuals owned industry and kept the profits
      2. USSR
         1. Communist
         2. The state owned everything
   3. Individual rights
      1. USA
         1. The freedom and rights of each person were considered important
         2. Americans objected when the state tried to interfere with their lives
3. Aims of the countries
   1. Britain and the USA
      1. Wanted to help Germany recover
      2. Truman's policy of containment - wanted to contain communism and stop it from spreading
   2. USSR
      1. Stalin wanted to take as much as he could from Germany
      2. Wanted to spread communism
4. Events
   1. Truman and spread of communism
      1. Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
   2. Czechoslovakia
   3. The Yalta and Potsdam conferences