... countries in Eastern Europe, reparations, the foundation of the United Nations, the control and use of atomic technology- and both sides had very different ideas about the post-war world. As each side recognised the other as their ideological enemy, it was inevitable that they approached each other with deep suspicion. From the misunderstandings and disagreements came the breakdown of trust and co-operation on which Europe's restructuring depended: it was clear that each side had a different vision of post-war Europe and these two views were incompatible. Rapidly the wartime alliance disintegrated into a war of words- accusation and counter-accusation -soon to be backed up by the threat of military action. This was the Cold War; an armed stand-off between political and economic systems, each side convinced of the evils of the other and each side confident of economic and ideological victory. Containment was the doctrine which was to define and ...

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