The Cold War
The US and USSR competed through arms, space and proxy wars.
About this topic
The Cold War (about 1947 to 1991) was a rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies that never became direct large-scale war between them, hence cold. It was a clash of capitalism and democracy against communism and one-party rule, with both sides having nuclear weapons, creating mutually assured destruction. Winston Churchill described an iron curtain dividing Europe.
The US followed containment, with the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan aiding Europe, and formed NATO in 1949, while the USSR created satellite states in Eastern Europe and the Warsaw Pact in 1955. Berlin was divided, the Berlin Airlift (1948 to 1949) supplied the city, and the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 was the closest to nuclear war, resolved when Soviet missiles were removed from Cuba.
Instead the powers fought proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Africa, an arms race, spy games, and a space race. Detente in the 1970s eased tensions, then Reagan increased pressure, and Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika reforms preceded the collapse of Soviet control and the USSR's dissolution in December 1991. Misconception: the Cold War was not peaceful for everyone; millions died in proxy conflicts. Example: schoolchildren practised duck and cover drills.
Key ideas
- Containment and NATO
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Mutually assured destruction
Quick check
Use cases: where The Cold War helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind The Cold War before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall The Cold War without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how The Cold War changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain The Cold War in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Studying the past helps explain today’s politics, borders, cultures and institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Cold War?
The US and USSR competed through arms, space and proxy wars.
What will I learn in The Cold War?
Containment and NATO. Cuban Missile Crisis. Mutually assured destruction.
Is The Cold War part of World History?
Yes. It is one of 80 World History topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the The Cold War lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study The Cold War?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.