The end of World War II brought great changes to the world. This was especially true in Europe, where some battles left areas completely devastated. With the fall of Hitler's regime, it was clear that the leaders of not only European nations but other nations such as the United States wanted to change the structure of the territory that was once occupied by the Nazi army. The United States and the Western Bloc would find themselves in a chess game on this earth with the Soviet Union and the Western Bloc. This chess game is better known as the Cold War. In the following paragraphs we will talk about how this bloodless war unfolded throughout Europe. These paragraphs will examine and provide examples of how the Cold War created a new set of geopolitical, social, and economic relationships across the continent and which of these factors was of greatest importance. Geopolitics is defined as the study of the effects geography has on politics and international relations. After the Yalta Conference and Germany's formal surrender, geopolitical relations between the nations once controlled by Hitler's army were up in the air. Would they fall into the hands of the communist force of Stalin's regime or would they embrace the democratic government that is spreading around the world thanks to the powers of the United States and the Western bloc? First, Germany was divided in half, with the western half controlled by the Allies and the eastern half under the control of the Soviet Union. In 1949, West Germany would have a democratic government while East Germany would become a satellite country of the Soviet Union with a communist government. The Soviet Union would continue to spread its communist model of government by absorbing the Albanian countries... middle of the paper... and wondering which of these factors was of greater importance. Ultimately, the Cold War was not a proud moment for the countries involved, especially the European nations. The lesson we can learn today from this battle between capitalism and communism is that capitalism will prevail in the end. All of these nations that were once part of the Soviet empire have now adopted some form of capitalism. The former Soviets also implemented their own version of capitalism (although it appears that Russia is trying to bring the old ways back into the fold). Today and in the future, the Cold War will be seen as a war between superpowers seeking to control how the world runs its government. People say we're heading for another Cold War. If so, this incarnation will not have the geopolitical, social and economic relations of the original.