The Cold War: Conflicting Aims and Policies of Rival Powers The Cold War can be said to have been sparked by a plethora of events. A common cause of the war is said to be that of Soviet aggression. This played a large role in creating concerns that may have started the Cold War. Also, American paranoia has been to said to have been a catalyst to the Cold War. Although both of these reasons are viable causes of the war, one cannot be mentioned without the other, or receive the entire blame for the Cold War. At the inception of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was on