What caused the cold war to escalate during the post world war 2 period

The release of two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945 helped end World War II but ushered in the Cold War,

Explanation:

a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that dragged on nearly half a century.

The Soviet Union and USA fought in the Cold War because USA was against communism and Soviet Union was based on communism. They didnt want to fight in a real war with bombs and nuclear weapons because they have just went through the horrible WW2. So instead they chose to "fight" with words. This soon led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Explanation:

d. direct