What was the primary ideology that the United States opposed during the Cold War?

The primary ideology that the United States opposed during the Cold War was communism. This period, which lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s, was characterized by a geopolitical tension primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies. The fundamental difference between the two entities was their political and economic ideologies: the United States championed capitalism and democratic governance, while the Soviet Union promoted communism.

Communism, as a political ideology, advocates for a classless society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. The U.S. viewed communism as a threat to its values of individual liberty, private ownership, and democratic governance, leading to policies aimed at containing its spread around the world.

The context of the foreign policy responses, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, reflects this ideological conflict, with the United States striving to prevent the expansion of communism in Europe and elsewhere. Thus, the opposition to communism was a defining feature of U.S. strategy during the Cold War era.