American Foreign Policy and the Cold WarAmerica's role at the end of World War II lies in the origins of world policing. America was engaged in a war that was very costly in terms of dollars and human lives. But despite the expense, the United States emerged from World War II better than any other nation involved. World War II was a battle between the Allied and Axis powers. The Allied Powers consisted of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, China and France. This war was seen as the fight against Nazi Germany and therefore resulted in the majority of battles fought on German and Russian soil. The consequences left the Soviet Union in a dire state. Nearly twenty million Russians died in the war, representing about eight percent of their population. Conversely, no combat took place on American soil, and although the United States suffered losses in terms of casualties, it was nothing compared to the loss suffered by Russia. Because the war would only end when the Axis powers completely surrendered to the Allied powers, the United States was forced to resort to the first atomic war in history. The atomic bomb would later become America's greatest asset. Stalin, the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union, was always suspicious of American and English intentions. Due to Stalin's aggression and his attitude towards Soviet influence on Europe, the post-war position towards Russia turned into a stalemate. This is what started the Cold War. The Cold War, seen as a battle between communism and capitalism, was "in reality a more complex struggle over a wide range of ideological, economic, and strategic issues." Over the next few years, the United States will spend more money on military and defense than ever before. Several steps were taken to ensure that the same mistakes made at the end of World War I would not be repeated. The first in a series of measures was a postwar conference involving President Truman and Soviet Foreign Minister VM Molokov, where Truman controlled the entire meeting and essentially berated the Soviets for not honoring the agreements on the Poland. Truman "told the Russians where they were getting off and generally ran the whole meeting." This symbolized America's strong stand against communism and signified the position we would hold throughout the Cold War. The next... middle of paper......trying to pass. Because he viewed the country from the inside, Kennan also believed that the United States should "pursue a policy of firm containment... whenever the Soviets show signs of encroaching on the interests of a peaceful and peaceful world." stable ". This view and idea of ​​US-Russia relations should have been widely accepted by Americans. They supported this idea of ​​aggressive behavior rather than a passive approach to the Cold War. Conversely, postwar liberals like Henry Wallace, "a leader of the Progressive Party, continued to seek cooperation with the Soviet Union and defended communist participation in their organizations." These ideals were quickly silenced. The American majority, extremely anti-communist, believed that relations with the Soviet Union should be harsh and firm. This period introduced American dominance in foreign policy. The ideals of personal freedom and opportunity have been the