The cold war could have been avoided if Kennen had not sent the Long Telegram that put the USSR in a threatening and bad light. It fueled the uneasiness that US leaders already had
about the spread of Communism in Eastern Europe.
In 1946, the US conducted tests of two atomic bombs at Bikini Atoll. Had they taken steps to disarm after Hiroshima and Nagasaki instead of continued testing, the USSR would not have felt threatened and the arms race could have been avoided.
In 1946, the USSR refused to withdraw troops from Northern Iran, thus breaking an agreement made with Britain stating that both countries would withdraw within six months of the war’s end. Had they followed through with the agreement, tensions wouldn't have risen and the cold war could have been avoided.
Scholars debate that both sides didn't fully understand the motives and aims of the other. The US saw the USSR's actions as threatening democracy, while the USSR wanted to improve security. If they had communicated more openly and clearly, they could have resolved their problems.
The cold war could have been prevented if the Truman Administration hadn't "worked to create an atmosphere of crisis" (Zinn 1), with the goal of continuing the successful war-economy in the US. If the government hadn't actively made the USSR look like the enemy, the cold war could have been avoided.
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