Aftermath of World War II

The Aftermath of World War II is often considered a new era. This period was defined by a mixture of international cooperation to rebuild Europe and Japan through the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, as well at the inauguration of the United Nations. However, these systems were challenged by the hostilities between the Western Democracies (led by the United States in the post-war era) and the Soviet Union in what became known as the Cold War. This conflict focused on espionage and proxy wars between the United States and the Soviet Union. An expression of underlying ideological differences between these two powers (Communism for the Soviets and Representative Democracy for the Americans), mutual distrust between the West and the new Eastern Bloc resulted in a military buildup which eventually resulted in the nuclear arms race.