Many historians are locked in debate on, who was responsible in starting the Cold War and which side has the true expansionist policies? One thing, although, that is readily agreed upon is that the Cold War officially began with the defeat of Germany and the consequence of a power vacuum in Central Europe.
In February, 1945, the Yalta Conference took place and the participants were Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. By this early stage of the Cold War, there had already been signs of ideological clashes and suspicion between both the U.S.S.R and the West. This conference was held in order to assure a peaceful co-existence between the Soviet Union and the West and to reinforce their alliance. Also, significantly, it can be said that American suspicion began during Yalta, for Stalin made it clear that Soviet expansionism would be the Moscow's imperative. The conference was very unsuccessful in the long run as, after World War II ended, the ideological split would prove to be too great for the "East" and "West" to remain allied forces.
…
