Answer:
King Leopold commonly believed that territorial expansion was essential to the creation of a strong state, and so he pursued Belgian colonies around the world. That said, not as an expansion of the Belgian empire, Leopold set up Belgium's first colony in Africa, but rather to add to his own personal wealth.
<span>Askia Muhammad was a ruler who came to power after defeating Sunni Ali's son. He organized his empire by splitting up Songhai into provinces. Askia Muhummad set up an organized tax system as well. During his rule Islam spread through the empire using Muslim Scholars. These scholars brought the idea of Islam to areas who had little contact with it. These scholars converted many into the Islamic Religion. Under his rule, the empire became a center of trade and learning. Askia Muhammad's rule ended when his son removed him from the throne.</span>
Immediate conflicts:
... The USA had atomic weapons and the USSR did not. (The US would not share that technology with the Soviets.)
... The USSR did not assure that free and fair elections took place in Eastern Europe -- it saw to it that Soviet-aligned governments were installed there.
... Tensions over the East Germany / West Germany and East Berlin / West Berlin division of territory.
Deeper causes:
The USA was committed to capitalism and democratic institutions of government.
The USSR was committed to communism and imposed authoritarian government.
The Cold War was mostly a tension between these worldviews.
