THE

SUPERPOWERS
AND THE
MEANING OF
‘COLD WAR’
PAGE 136 - 137
THE SUPERPOWERS
• The definition of a superpower is a country that has a dominant
position internationally and is able to influence events world wide.
• Britain had been the most powerful country in the world before the
war.
• After 1945, however, the British Empire fell apart.
• All its former colonies became independent and formed the British
Commonwealth of Nations.
• America and the USSR emerged as superpowers after 1945.
• A rivalry started between them as they began to dominate certain
areas of the world.
• The main difference between them was their completely opposite
ideology of capitalism and communism.
• Other countries in the world divided themselves behind the 2
superpowers.

• America was completely against communist policies of dictatorship,

state ownership of everything and no freedom of speech, religion,
movement or press.
• The USSR’s aim was to spread communism around the world.
THE COLD WAR
• This tension between the 2 superpowers became known as the Cold
War, which lasted from 1945 to 1989.
• The Cold War never broke out into actual conflict.
• The “weapons” of the Cold War were propaganda, spying, economic
influence and trying to gain the most power and status.
• The Cold War was fought in Asia, Africa, Europe and even in space.
• With the discovery of nuclear weapons, both superpowers realised
that they could not have a “hot” war, as they could actually blow up
the whole world.
PLEASE COPY ALL SLIDES IN YOUR
WORKBOOK AND COMPLETE
ACTIVITY 2.4 AND 2.5