Question

which of these was a major cause of the cold war?

a. the soviet union and the united states competed for economic markets in southeast asia.

b. the united states and the soviet union emerged as superpowers but had very different political ideals.

c. the soviet union blamed the united states for not coming to its aid during world war ii.

d. post-world war ii mandates awarded much more territory to the soviet union than to the united states.

Explanation:

To determine the major cause of the Cold War, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Competition for Southeast Asian markets was not a primary cause; the Cold War was more about ideological and global power rivalry.
• Option B: After WWII, the US (capitalist, democratic) and USSR (communist, authoritarian) emerged as superpowers with conflicting political ideals, driving mistrust and rivalry—this is a core cause.
• Option C: The US and USSR were allies in WWII, so this is incorrect.
• Option D: Post - WWII territory mandates weren't a major cause; the ideological and power - based conflict was more significant.

Answer:

B. The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers but had very different political ideals.