Twentieth Century · StudentHub Lesson
The Cold War
The rivalry between the USA and USSR from 1945 to 1991.
What you will learn
- Explain why the Cold War began
- Compare capitalism and communism
- Describe key crises
- Explain the arms race
- Explain how it ended
Watch the lesson
We haven’t confirmed a lesson video that matches this topic closely enough yet, so the notes below are the lesson for now. A recommended video will be added once we’ve checked one properly.
Topic notes
Main Idea
The Cold War was a period of political, military and ideological tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, fought without direct large-scale war between them.
Key Concepts
- Capitalist USA vs communist USSR ideologies
- The 'Iron Curtain' divided Europe
- NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955) were rival alliances
- The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) brought the world close to nuclear war
- The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the USSR dissolved in 1991
Definitions
- Iron Curtain: The boundary dividing Western and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe.
- Arms race: Competition to build more and stronger weapons.
- Proxy war: A conflict where powers support opposing sides instead of fighting directly.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking the USA and USSR fought each other directly
- Mixing up the dates of the Berlin Wall and the USSR's collapse
- Ignoring proxy wars such as Korea and Vietnam
Key concepts
Important terms
- Iron Curtain
- The boundary dividing Western and Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe.
- Arms race
- Competition to build more and stronger weapons.
- Proxy war
- A conflict where powers support opposing sides instead of fighting directly.
Quick revision
- 1945–1991
- Capitalism vs communism
- NATO vs Warsaw Pact
- Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
- Proxy wars: Korea, Vietnam
- Berlin Wall fell 1989, USSR ended 1991
Check your understanding
Question 1 · Multiple choice
In which year was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Question 2 · Short answer
What was the Western military alliance formed in 1949?
Question 3 · True or false
The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
Done with The Cold War?
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