Though the Allied powers won a hard fought victory over the Axis, they could not, among themselves, decide what the post-war era should be like. Differences in ideas for conditions after the war, such as spheres of influence for world powers or how to control armament in militant countries, led to disagreements between the major allies in the Grand Alliance, which included the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. Britain and the US were seen by the Soviets as being Western powers who had not been historically friendly with Russia, and could be potentially aggressive towards the East. For this reason, the USSR aimed to secure buffer zones and important locations and resources in Eastern Europe as preventative measures. The Western powers, mainly America, feared the Soviet Union was becoming too strong and could potentially be a threat if alliances were broken. At different conferences held by the Big Three powers, many plans were made, both militarily and politically, which affected the outcome of the war. At these conferences, the arguments between the US and the USSR shaped the conditions for the years to come. The Soviet Union feared possible future aggression from the West. At the beginning of the war, the Soviets were on the side of Nazi Germany due to their non-aggression pact. Because of their past allegiance with the enemy, the other main Allied Powers trusted them only grudgingly. Relations between the countries were not good, and Stalin feared that this could be cause for future enmity and conflict. To prevent Russia from once again becoming a weak, disorganized power, Stain took advantage of his country’s key role in the war to become a strong, powerful nation. From the war, due to an offensive strategy that called for the Soviets to capture and secure eastern Europe, the USSR was able to expand its borders considerably, gaining key