The war in the Pacific ended when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman's reason for using these terrible devices was to prevent the greater number of deaths that would happen if the US were to invade the Japanese mainland. Fortunately, his decision did bring about the end of the war, but sadly this also opened up a more dangerous can of worms: the nuclear arms race.
While the US and Soviet Union were together as the two most powerful nations on earth, putting out national interests would be out in the Cold War era that would last until the late 1980's. By the time of the signing of the Axis satellite treaties early in 1947, the two countries were were going apart from each other. The Soviets had built and tested their own nuclear devices, which happened to increase tensions between the two nations, pulling them even further apart.
Fearing the spread of communism, the US sent troops to suppress communist governments in various places worldwide. This "policy of containment" soon had the United States' attitude on foreign affairs, even if it led to corrupt dictators gaining power or supporting weak, non-communist governments. Meanwhile, those back in the US weren't immune from this policy either.
Meanwhile, the cold war pushed on.
Hoping to gain the their home soil, both the US and the Soviets aimed nuclear-warhead-tipped ICBM's at the other's major cities and industrial areas. These missiles could be launched at a any moment. These missiles could not be taken off once fired, meaning that a simple mistake could lead to nuclear war.
Only this fear of imminent retaliation and total annihilation would keep these two superpowers from using their nuclear arsenals on one another.
But in the meantime, no place on earth would be safe.
While the US and Soviet Union were together as the two most powerful nations on earth, putting out national interests would be out in the Cold War era that would last until the late 1980's. By the time of the signing of the Axis satellite treaties early in 1947, the two countries were were going apart from each other. The Soviets had built and tested their own nuclear devices, which happened to increase tensions between the two nations, pulling them even further apart.
Fearing the spread of communism, the US sent troops to suppress communist governments in various places worldwide. This "policy of containment" soon had the United States' attitude on foreign affairs, even if it led to corrupt dictators gaining power or supporting weak, non-communist governments. Meanwhile, those back in the US weren't immune from this policy either.
Meanwhile, the cold war pushed on.
Hoping to gain the their home soil, both the US and the Soviets aimed nuclear-warhead-tipped ICBM's at the other's major cities and industrial areas. These missiles could be launched at a any moment. These missiles could not be taken off once fired, meaning that a simple mistake could lead to nuclear war.
Only this fear of imminent retaliation and total annihilation would keep these two superpowers from using their nuclear arsenals on one another.
But in the meantime, no place on earth would be safe.