I agree that the USSR was responsible for starting the

Cold War to a far extent.

Firstly, it was agreed, at the Yalta conference, that East
European countries formerly under German rule would
be allowed to hold free elections. However, Stalin
violated the agreement and installed a communist
government in Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and
Hungary by removing opposition parties and rigging the
elections to the communists favour.
The installation of communist governments in East
Europe countries may have increased the tension
between the West and the Soviet Union, that eventually
led to the Cold War. Stalin achieved this by forming a
genuine coalition government of several parties, but
Communists got key ministries. The Communists
gradually increased their power and the genuine coalition
became a phoney coalition, in which all the power lay
with the communists. Elections were rigged and
opposition parties were eliminated.
The take-over of Poland could have been a key factor in
blaming the Soviet Union for the start of the Cold War.
By the end of June 1945, a few London Poles were
included in the Polish government. However, it remained
completely dominated by the Lublin Poles. This was
Stalins way of controlling Poland so as to spread his
communist ideology.
However, it could be argued that it was the Wests fault,
instead of the Soviet Union, that triggered the start of the
Cold War. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
provided financial aid to countries devastated by the war.
The underlying thinking was that a prosperous Europe

would be less likely to turn communist. Both Poland and

Czechoslovakia wanted to take part but Russia did not
allow it. Russia did not want other European countries to
accept US aid since they regarded it as anti-Communist.
Stalin thought it might weaken his hold on Eastern Bloc
and Eastern countries would swing to the US Dollar.
Trumans get tough attitude towards Stalin at the
Potsdam conference could have increased tension
between the two wartime allies. Truman was much more
anti-Communist than his predecessor, Roosevelt, and was
very suspicious of Stalin. Truman and his advisers saw
Soviet actions in Eastern Europe as preparations for a
Soviet takeover of the rest of Europe.
On 16 July 1945, the Americans successfully tested an
atomic bomb. Truman purposely kept this from Stalin
until the start of the Potsdam conference. He wanted to
use the atomic bomb and superior economic strength to
put pressure on the Soviet Union and prevent further
expansion.
In conclusion, I believe the USSR was responsible for
the Cold War. If they had not taken over Eastern Europe
to spread communism, America might not have needed
to set up the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan to
counter Russias efforts to spread communism. Americas
efforts as mentioned in the points above was just to
counter the looming threat of Russias takeover of
Europe.