COLD WAR

ERA

Monika Davies
COLD WAR
ERA

Monika Davies
Consultant
Jennifer M. Lopez, NBCT, M.S.Ed.
Teacher Specialist—History/Social Studies
Office of Curriculum & Instruction
Norfolk Public Schools

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 Table of Contents
Two Nations, Sworn Enemies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1945–1948: The Groundwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1948–1962: Escalation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

1962: The Peak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1962–1991: A Slow Thawing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Present Day: A Rocky Relationship. . . . . . . . 26

Tweet It!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Your Turn!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

3
 Two Nations, Sworn Enemies
It was the United States versus the Soviet Union. The two
countries once worked together. However, that changed
after World War II. Around 1947, they became enemies.
This conf lict was called the Cold War. It spanned more
than 40 years. The Cold War is the longest standoff between
major nations in modern history.

Soviet trucks carry missiles past a

poster of Soviet Union’s first leader.

4
 Communism
The Soviet Union practiced a type
of communism. Communism is
based on the belief that all people
should get the same things. No one
should suffer while someone else
succeeds. In the Soviet Union, the
government controlled property. The
government was in charge of most
means of production. The Soviet
government also controlled all the
natural resources of the country.

a U.S. Air Force plane

The Cold War stemmed from the two nations’

opposing ideologies. The Soviet Union was
a communist country. This was at odds with
the United States’ belief in democracy. Both
countries wanted to be the strongest. They Democracy
gathered allies, or partners. They strengthened The United States practices
their defenses and built nuclear weapons. Both a type of democracy. In the
nations tried to inf luence other countries too. United States, people choose
their own leaders. People
It often seemed that the two countries were at the have the right to vote. In a
edge of war. But in the end, total war was avoided. true democracy, everyone
Instead, the nations battled one another in smaller has the same human
conf licts around the globe. This rivalry went on to rights and freedoms. All
affect the countries’ foreign policies and economies laws should apply to
for years to come. people equally.

5
 Churchill’s
Curtain
The phrase “iron curtain”
was often used during
this time. A former British
leader named Winston
Churchill was the first to
say it about the Cold War.
He said, “An iron curtain
has descended across the
Continent.” The phrase
described the Soviet Union’s
plan to cut itself off from
noncommunist places. He
meant there was a political
barrier between the Soviet
Union and the West.

This German city was destroyed during World War II.

The Trio at Yalta

In 1945, Winston Churchill,
President Franklin Roosevelt,
and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin
(above, left to right) met in Yalta,
Crimea. Stalin agreed to hold free
elections in some Eastern European
countries. However, he did not keep
his word and these countries became
communist. This act further divided
the United States and Soviet Union.
6
1945–1948:
The Groundwork
During World War II, Americans and Soviets
fought side by side. They worked together to
defeat their common enemy—the German‑led
Axis powers. However, despite their alliance,
there was distrust between the two countries.
To win the war, they had to put aside their
differences. After the war, though, the
tensions returned.
 Iceland

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Iron Curtain Denmark

in Europe Ireland Soviet

Union
Non-Communist United
Kingdom
Soviet Netherlands
Expansion East
Germany Poland
Belgium
Neutral West
Germany
“Iron Curtain” Cze
Luxembourg cho
slov
akia
*Soviet-aligned until
1948 (Yugoslavia)
and 1960 (Albania) France Austria Hungary
Switzerland

Romania

Yugoslavia*

Italy Bulgaria
al
ug

Albania*
t
Por

Spain
Turkey
Greece

Allies to Enemies
In 1945, World War II was finally over. The Allied forces
declared victory, but it came at a high cost. Cities were ruined, and
millions of lives were lost. Countries needed to rebuild, but very
few had the resources to do so.
The United States and the Soviet Union were faced with questions:
How should they repair what had been damaged? What help could
they offer? And what was the best way to keep peace?
Soviet leaders’ top priority was expansion. They thought having
a buffer of countries would protect them. So, they began setting up
communist governments in Eastern European countries.
The wartime alliance between the United States and the Soviet
Union was quickly falling apart. An “iron curtain” had fallen. The
divide between the countries was clearly marked.
7
 Truman Doctrine
After World War II, Great Britain sent troops and military aid
to the governments of Greece and Turkey. British leaders hoped
that would help them fight communism. As the years went on,
though, it became too expensive for British troops to stay in foreign
countries. So, Great Britain made plans to leave.
U.S. leaders were worried. Greece and Turkey were easy targets
for a Soviet takeover. Before the war, the United States had stayed
out of foreign affairs. However, U.S. foreign policy was about to
change in a big way.

President Truman asks Congress to

send aid to Greece and Turkey.

8
 The Official Declaration
Many people think the Truman
Doctrine marked the start of the
Cold War. Truman’s speech called
communism an enemy. It also
laid the groundwork for the
United States’ Cold War foreign
policy. The policy focused
on containing the spread
of communism.

The U.S. Navy gives a plane to Turkey

as part of the Truman Doctrine. What Kind of Aid?
U.S. Congress approved a
In 1946, a U.S. representative budget of $400 million to
named George Kennan sent a help Greece and Turkey.
telegram to the Department (That is the same as about
of State. In it, he argued for $4.7 billion in today’s
a policy of containment. In money.) Congress also
Kennan’s eyes, the use of approved sending
“strong resistance” would stop American troops and
equipment to help
the spread of communism. Kennan defend the two nations.
President Harry S. Truman agreed.
On March 12, 1947, Truman spoke of his plan
to Congress. This plan would later be called the
Truman Doctrine. Truman said it was the United
States’ duty to stop the spread of communism.
After Truman’s speech, the United States gave aid
to Greece and Turkey. Neither country switched to
communism. The Truman Doctrine marked a clear
battle line drawn between the East and West.
9
 Iceland

The Marshall Plan

Marshall Plan
funding Finland

No Marshall Plan
funding Norway

“Iron Curtain” Sweden

Denmark

Ireland Soviet
Union
United
Kingdom
Netherlands

The Mastermind
East
Germany Poland
Belgium
West
Germany
Czech

The idea for the Marshall

Luxembourg oslo
vakia

Plan largely came from U.S. France

Switzerland
Austria Hungary

Secretary of State George

Romania

Marshall (shown above).

Yugoslavia

Italy Bulgaria

After the war, he saw how

al
ug

Albania
t
Por

Spain

destroyed European countries

Turkey
Greece

were. Marshall feared these

countries were helpless against
the spread of communism. The
Marshall Plan was a success. It
helped 17 western and southern
Marshall Plan
European countries in the years
after the war. Marshall won
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 in
recognition of his efforts.
Crunching Numbers
The Marshall Plan sent aid worth
$13 billion to Europe (around $135
billion today). That aid came in
different forms, including: raw
materials ($3.4 billion); food, feed,
and manure ($3.2 billion); tools and
equipment ($1.9 billion); and fuel
and oil ($1.6 billion). Most of the aid
was purchased from U.S. companies,
so the Marshall Plan helped the U.S.
economy too.
10
Before World War II, the U.S. economy was
in terrible shape. This time was known as the
Great Depression. However, the economy had
recovered during the war. Other countries
were not as lucky. Europe faced a long road to
recovery. So, the United States came up with an
idea. It was called the Marshall Plan.
The Marshall Plan had
one goal—to fix Europe’s
economy. The plan
offered money to almost
all of Europe. Western
European countries gladly
took the help. However,
Eastern Europe was a
different matter.
1947 poster promoting
the Marshall Plan
 British leaders watch
the first shipment of
sugar arrive from the
Marshall Plan.

When Soviet leaders learned that the Marshall Plan would help
Germany, they were shocked. How could the United States help
their former World War II enemy? At a meeting between Soviet
and U.S. leaders, Soviet leaders demanded that they be placed in
charge of the funds to Germany. They would decide how much
money Germany got. They would also determine how Germany
could spend the money. When it became clear that the Soviet Union
would not be placed in charge of Germany’s aid, Soviet leaders
stormed out of the meeting.
Stalin ordered the rest of Eastern Europe to refuse all aid from
the Marshall Plan. It was official. The United States and the Soviet
Union were enemies.
11
 1948–1962: Escalation
The United States and the Soviet Union were now in the
beginnings of the Cold War. This time marked a series of
proxy wars and standoffs between the two nations.

Allies in Germany
In 1945, leaders from Great Britain, France, the United States,
and the Soviet Union met to discuss the end of World War II. They
agreed to work together to rule Germany. So, they split Germany
into four zones, with one country in charge of each zone. Berlin was
in the Soviet zone. However, the city was an important location.
So, the four countries divided Berlin too. This helped keep a fair
balance. This friendly division was before the Cold War. Over the
next few years the relationship between the East and West worsened.

the four zones of Germany

the four zones of Berlin

Berlin

East
Germany

West
Germany

Berlin
12
 On June 20, 1948, the Western leaders
released a new type of currency, called
deutsche (DOYCH) marks, into their
zones. They hoped this would help
Germany’s economy recover. However,
this move angered Soviet leaders—they
had not agreed to a new currency. So,
two days later, Soviet leaders introduced
their own currency into the Soviet zone.
They said all of Berlin had to use the Soviet
currency. The Western leaders responded
by sending deutsche marks to their zones
in West Berlin. With Berlin divided, Soviet
leaders decided to take further action.
Deutsche marks remained
in use until 2002.
Different Ideologies
The differences between U.S. and Soviet
ideologies was made clear in Germany.
Soviet leaders wanted to punish
Germany for the war. German troops
had wrecked a lot of Soviet land. Plus,
an estimated 26 million Soviets had
died in the war. So, Soviet leaders
took manufacturing equipment as
payment for the war. That meant
that the German people could not
work to rebuild their country. U.S.
leaders felt differently. They did
not want Germany to have to
depend on the Allies to survive.
So, U.S. leaders invested in
German industries. They thought
the sooner Germany could
rebuild, the sooner U.S. troops
could leave.
Hot vs. Cold
A hot war is a conflict that
involves actual fighting.
A cold war is a battle of
ideologies and a time of
mistrust between nations.
Since the Soviet Union and
the United States never
fought each other directly,
this time period was a
cold war.
13

Tallying Up
The blockade of Berlin
lasted 11 months. The
Berlin Airlift was in effect
for 15 months. In that time,
the United States and Great
Britain flew over 270,000
times to West Berlin! Those
flights brought two million
tons of supplies. The total cost
was $224 million ($2.36 billion
in today’s money).
Berlin Airlift
On June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union cut off all rail,
water, and road access to West Berlin. They wanted
to pressure the Western countries into leaving Berlin.
The West replied by taking to the skies. For
months, the United States and Great Britain flew
supplies to West Berlin. They brought food, fuel,
and other forms of aid. It was an endless cycle of
planes. At one point, there was a plane landing
every 30 seconds with supplies!
With these supplies, West Berlin was no
weaker than before. The Soviet plan had failed.
On May 12, 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the
blockade to West Berlin. The West kept up
the Berlin Airlift for four more months in case
Stalin—the Soviet leader—changed his mind.
West Berliners watch a U.S. plane
deliver aid during the blockade.

The Warsaw Pact

In 1955, the Soviet Union
responded to the creation of NATO
with its own treaty. It was called
the Warsaw Pact, and it formed
an Eastern defense alliance. The
Warsaw Pact was meant to defend
against Western attacks. It also made
sure that Eastern countries would not
reach out to the West for help.

14
 Iceland

Finland

Norway

Founding members of
Sweden
NATO and Warsaw Pact
NATO 1949
Denmark
Joined NATO 1949–1955
Ireland Soviet
Warsaw Pact Union
United
Kingdom
Non-aligned
Netherlands
East
Poland
“Iron Curtain” Germany
Belgium
West
Germany
Cze
Luxembourg cho
slov
akia

France Austria Hungary

Switzerland

Romania

Yugoslavia

Italy Bulgaria
al
ugt

Spain
Por

Albania
Turkey
Greece

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

During the airlift, Western countries began President Truman signs
talking about forming an alliance. In 1949, the NATO into effect as other
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) world leaders look on.
went into effect. It was the first time the United
States had signed this type of treaty when there
was not a war happening. Leaders from the
United States, Canada, and 10 other nations
drafted the document. They wrote “an armed
attack against one or more of them…shall be
considered an attack against them all.” At the
time, NATO was meant to defend against a Soviet
attack. NATO is still in effect. It has grown over
the years. Now, 29 countries are part of NATO.

15
 The Korean War
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union Soviet Uni
never truly went to “war.” However, proxy wars did happen.
At the end of World War II, the Allies faced a
decision about Korea. The country had been a
Japanese colony. Now, the Japanese empire had China
to be broken up. So, a short-term solution was
reached. Korea would be split in half. The Soviet
Union would control North Korea, while the North
United States would control South Korea. The Korea

long-term goal was to form one self-governing

country. However, the difference between north South
Korea
and south quickly became clear. With Soviet
inf luence, North Korea became communist.
They planned to take over the South.

U.S. Marines during

the Korean War

16
 On June 25, 1950, North Korean
troops marched into South Korea.
The south needed U.S. help to fight
back. President Truman went to
the United Nations (UN) for help.
Together, they sent aid to South Korea.
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union supplied
North Korea with weapons and
machinery. As the conf lict stretched
on, more than 2.5 million people died.
Finally, on July 27, 1953, a peace treaty was
signed, and the conflict in Korea ended.
U.S. and UN troops cross
the boundary to South
Korea as they withdraw
from North Korea.
The Era of McCarthyism
In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy
(shown above) claimed there were
205 secret communists in the U.S.
government. When the Senate
asked for more details, McCarthy
had none. Even so, his fame
spread. For the next few years,
McCarthy set out to expose secret
communists. He never had strong
proof. Still, McCarthy forced
several people out of their jobs.
This time of accusing people
without proof became known as
McCarthyism. In 1954, members
of the U.S. Army claimed
that McCarthy had used his
position to pressure them into
helping one of his friends. The
investigation lasted for more
than a month. It was shown
on national TV. Americans
saw how McCarthy bullied
people. Public opinion
quickly turned against him,
and the era of McCarthyism
came to an end.
17

Protests
Many Americans did not
want to enter the Vietnam
War. On November 15, 1969,
half a million people went
to Washington, DC. They
were there to protest U.S.
involvement in Vietnam.
People gave speeches, and
the crowd sang songs. It is
the largest antiwar protest in
U.S. history. The conflict cost
the United States more than
$111 billion at the time (around
$700 billion today).
The Berlin Wall
While North and South Vietnam
were fighting for control, Berlin
was quickly becoming a symbol
of the Cold War. On the night of
August 12, 1961, construction
on the Berlin Wall began. The
completed wall surrounded West
Berlin. Many East Berliners tried
to move to West Berlin. However,
the wall served as a huge barrier.
The wall was originally made of
barbed wire and cinderblocks. Later,
it became a 15‑foot (5-meter) tall
concrete divide.
18
China
Hanoi
Laos North
Vietnam
Thailand
South
Cambodia Vietnam
Saigon
North Vietnamese
leader Ho Chi Minh
The Vietnam War
Since the late 1800s, Vietnam had been a colony
of France. Then, in 1940, Japan took control of
Vietnam. After World War II ended, a Vietnamese
group called the Viet Minh (vee‑et MIN) declared
the country’s independence. However, the
French wanted control of their colony back. An
eight‑year war began for control of the country.
In the end, the Viet Minh won the war.
As part of the peace treaty, Vietnam was
split into two countries. The Viet Minh would
get North Vietnam. It would be a communist
country. The Vietnamese people who had
fought for the French side in the war got
control of South Vietnam. It would be a
democratic country.
 U.S. Army soldiers land in
South Vietnam in 1966.

The peaceful division did not last long.

By 1957, the North began to battle the South.
A secret group of communists — called the
Viet Cong — lived in South Vietnam. North
Vietnam supported the Viet Cong’s attacks in
the South. The United States sent aid to South
Vietnam. However, by the early 1960s, the Viet
Cong had taken over most of South Vietnam.
In August 1964, North Vietnam attacked
a U.S. ship. U.S. troops were sent to defend
South Vietnam. For the next nine years, the
United States fought in the Vietnam War.
In 1973, after growing public pressure, the last
Viet Cong soldier U.S. soldiers left Vietnam. Two years later,
South Vietnam fell.
19
 1962: The Peak
In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev (ni-KEE-tuh
KROOS-chev) took control of the Soviet Union.
Early on, he promised to give nuclear weapons
to Cuba. Cuba was a communist country, and
Khrushchev wanted to help his allies. However,
Cuba is near Florida. With nuclear weapons,
Cuba could easily attack most of the East Coast of
the United States. Khrushchev

In 1962, U.S. pilots in spy planes f lew over Cuba and saw
missile-launching sites. They reported what they saw to
President John Kennedy. For days, Kennedy and his team
discussed what to do. They talked about invading Cuba.
They also talked about bombing Cuba. In the end, Kennedy
and his team decided on a naval blockade. They would use
U.S. ships to stop Soviet missiles from reaching Cuba.

Florida

Cuba

Haiti
Domi
Repu
Jamaica

This photo from

a U.S. spy plane
shows one of Cuba’s
missile‑launching
sites.
20
 The Bay of Pigs
In 1959, a pro‑communist man
named Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba’s
leader. The United States wanted to
remove Castro from power. In 1961,
the United States gave weapons
to more than a thousand Cubans.
Their job was to get rid of Castro.
The plan failed. The Bay of Pigs
Invasion, as it came to be known,
worsened relations between Cuba
and the United States.

President Kennedy announces the naval

blockade of Cuba on national television. Hot Line Talk
After the Cuban Missile Crisis,
On October 22, 1962, Kennedy went on a direct line of communication
national television. He asked Khrushchev to was formed between the
stop this “threat to world peace.” Kennedy said United States and the Soviet
the Soviet Union had to get rid of its missiles in Union. An American president
Cuba. It was now Kennedy versus Khrushchev. could call the Pentagon with
The world was on the edge of nuclear war. a message. The message was
then typed in code. The code
In the end, Khrushchev backed down. He was sent to the Soviets to
agreed to take all Soviet missiles out of Cuba. decode. The message only
In return, Kennedy vowed that the United took minutes to make it
States would never try to take over Cuba. By late to the Soviet Union. That
was extremely fast for
November, the so‑called Cuban Missile Crisis was
the time!
over. People around the world could rest easier.

21
 1962–1991:
A Slow Thawing
Nixon in Germany
On May 22, 1972, Richard
Nixon became the first U.S.
president to visit Moscow.
He was there to meet the
new Soviet leader, Leonid
Brezhnev (lee-uh-NEED
BREZH-nehf). The two
leaders made plans for the
future. The most important
agreement to come out of his
trip was SALT I.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis ended in peace,
tensions between the United States and the Soviet
Union lessened. The conf lict in Vietnam led to a
brief period of heightened tensions, but by the late
1960s, things were not as tense. Part of this was due
to how the world had changed. At one point, world
politics were simple. It was the West versus the
East. The United States and the Soviet Union were
the most powerful nations in the world. Then, the
structure of the world changed. At the start of the
Cold War, the Soviet Union and China were allies.
However, that alliance came to an end in 1960.
Around the same time, the economies of Japan and
Western European countries were recovering. By
the mid-1960s, the United States and the Soviet
Union were no longer the only superpowers.

Arms Race
The Cold War arms race was a
battle to have the most nuclear
weapons. In 1987, the United
States had 13,002. Two years later,
the Soviet Union had 11,320. This
was the highest number of missiles
both sides had during the Cold War.

Khrushchev and Kennedy

22
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
In the late 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson
met with Soviet leaders to discuss how to put
an end to the threat of nuclear war. Over the
next few years, new leaders from both sides
met several times to continue Johnson’s work
and come up with a plan. SALT I and II
were the results. These treaties limited each
country’s nuclear weapons. They also reduced
the number of missile‑launching sites each
country could build. By cutting down their
own defenses, it was less likely that the two
countries would target each other. Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin
with President Johnson in 1967

President Nixon shakes hands

with Premier Brezhnev after
the signing of SALT I in 1972.

23
 Fall of the Berlin Wall
In 1989, change was in the air. Communism was fading around the
world. Some Eastern European countries were becoming democracies.
Life in East Germany was changing too. In October, East Germans
forced their leader out of power. A month later, the new East German
leaders said their country was now open to everyone.
Since its construction in 1961, the Berlin Wall had kept East and
West Berlin divided. Now, tens of thousands of people rushed to see
the wall come down. It made news around the world.

Berliners climb over the Berlin Wall in October 1989.

24
 Fall of the Soviet Union
In 1985, Mikhail Berlin Blunder
Gorbachev (mih-KALE On November 9, 1989, a newly
gor-buh-CHAHF) became appointed spokesman for East
the Soviet leader. Under Germany’s Communist Party was
his guidance, the country handed a note. It said that travel
changed course. He had between East and West German lands
a more modern view of would become easier. That evening,
leadership. He pushed for he gave the announcement to a
change. He eased Soviet stunned room. When asked when the
Gorbachev new policies would take effect, he
control over Eastern Europe.
paused. He did not know. Instead
Gorbachev’s ideas caused great change. of saying it would be a slow process,
Many communist rulers around the world he shrugged and said immediately.
Tens of thousands of Germans met
were removed from office. Soon, the Soviet
at the wall and began tearing it
Union split into 15 new nations. Gorbachev down piece by piece.
stepped down on December 25, 1991. That
day, the Soviet Union came to an end. The
Cold War was over.

The East Side Gallery

Estonia Pieces of the original Berlin
Latvia
Lithuania
Russia Wall still stand in Berlin.
Belarus
They are kept as a reminder.
Moldova One section of the wall has
Ukraine
completely changed. It is
covered with over a hundred
Georgia Kazakhstan colorful paintings. The
Nations formed from artwork showcases hopeful,
Armenia the fomer Soviet Union political, and peaceful
Uz

Azerbaijan
b

themes.
ek

Russia
Tu
ist

rkm Kyrgyzstan
an

en Former
ist Soviet Republics
an Tajikistan
25
 Reminders
In 1989, Hungary switched
to a democracy. After that,
every communist statue in
Budapest was torn down
and placed in Memento Park.
Now, guests can take photos
with these statues. There are
statues of famous communist Top U.S. and Russian military leaders
leaders, such as Vladimir Lenin meet to discuss world affairs in 2018.
and Karl Marx. There is even a
statue of Stalin’s boots. That is
all that is left of a former Stalin
statue after it was torn down!
Present Day:
A Rocky Relationship
The Cold War lasted for 44 years. Luckily,
nuclear war never happened. For that, the
Russia and NATO world could be thankful.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, For many years, every action by the two
Russian leaders said they would
countries was defined by the Cold War. The
consider joining NATO. They took
several steps toward membership.
United States focused on containment.
Then, in March 2014, Russia invaded The Soviet Union was determined to grow its
Crimea—a peninsula south of empire. After years of heightened tensions,
Ukraine. NATO did not approve of the Cold War began to thaw. Both sides
Russia’s actions. Today, Russia and started to cut back on nuclear weapons. This
NATO are still at a standoff. paved the way for peace.

26
 In 1991, the Cold War ended. A large part of the Soviet Union
became Russia. Today, the United States and Russia have an
unsteady relationship. They still disagree on how to handle most
world affairs.
Hopefully, history will not be forgotten. The two countries may
still find ways to work together. Global cooperation can be tricky.
However, the Cold War proved that conf licts can be resolved
peacefully. Perhaps one day, the United States and Russia will
once again call themselves allies.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

shakes hands with Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in 2019.

Russian and U.S. astronauts train

together for a mission on the
International Space Station.
27
 Tweet It!
What if Kennedy had a Twitter™ account during the Cuban
Missile Crisis? Can you imagine Stalin keeping his country
informed with only 280 characters?
1. Design a Twitter profile for one of the major players in the
Cold War. It can be any major historical figure (e.g., Joseph
Stalin, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy, Mikhail Gorbachev).
• Make sure your Twitter profile includes a photo and a
brief personal summary. Try to capture the tone and
personality of the historical figure.
2. Write 10 tweets that the person could have shared during
significant Cold War moments. These can include the
person’s thoughts, links to outside sources, pictures, or even
be replies to other historical people on Twitter. Make sure
each tweet is no more than 280 characters long. Tweets
should also include the date and location of the sender.
3. While you are working, think about how social media could
have changed the course of the Cold War.
• Do you think these world leaders would have released
media statements through Twitter?
• Many current politicians use social media as an outlet for
their thoughts and to gain support. In what ways is social
media an effective way for them to reach the public?

28
29
 Glossary
aid—help or assistance
alliance—close associations of
nations or other groups
Allied forces—the group of
countries in World War II that
opposed the Axis powers
Axis powers— the group of
countries in World War II that
opposed the Allied forces
blockade—an act of war in
which soldiers or ships are used
to stop people and supplies
from entering or leaving places
containment—the policy of
preventing the expansion of an
enemy power or ideology
expansion—the act of growing
or expanding
foreign policies—countries’
methods for interacting with
other countries
ideologies—ideas representative
of groups of people, nations, or
political parties
invading—entering to conquer
natural resources—materials
supplied by nature, such as
minerals
30
nuclear weapons—weapons
that are powered by nuclear
energy and can cause major
destruction
protest—to declare that you are
against something
proxy wars—wars started by
major powers, which do not
become directly involved in
the fighting
resistance—the act of fighting or
opposing something
standoff—a situation in which
there is no winner
superpowers—extremely
powerful and inf luential
countries
tensions—times of strain and
unfriendliness between groups
or individuals
treaty—an official agreement
made between two or more
countries or groups
United Nations—an
international organization
established in 1945 that works
to increase economic and
political cooperation among
countries
Index
Allies, 7, 12–13, 16 Marshall, George, 10
Bay of Pigs, 21 Marshall Plan, 10–11
Berlin, 12–14, 18, 24–25 North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO),
Berlin Airlift, 14 14– 15, 26
Berlin Wall, 18, 24–25 North Korea, 16–17
Castro, Fidel, 21 South Korea, 16–17
China, 22 Stalin, Joseph, 6, 11, 14, 26
Crimea, 6, 26 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
Cuba, 20–21 (SALT), 22–23

Cuban Missile Crisis, 21–22 Truman Doctrine, 8–9

Germany, 6, 11–13, 22, 24–25 Truman, Harry S., 8–9, 15, 17

Gorbachev, Mikhail, 25 Turkey, 8–9

Great Britain, 6, 8, 11–12, 14 United Nations (UN), 17

Greece, 8–9 Viet Cong, 19

iron curtain, 6–7 Viet Minh, 18

Japan, 16, 18, 22 Vietnam War, 18–19, 22

Kennan, George, 9 Warsaw Pact, 14

Kennedy, John, 20–22 World War II, 4, 6–8, 10–12,

16, 18
Khrushchev, Nikita, 20–22
Yalta Conference, 6
Korea War, 16–17

31
 Your Turn!
For more than 40 years, the Berlin Wall stood as a symbol of
the Cold War. The first Berlin Wall was built in the night.
When the final wall was built, it was nearly impossible to
get past. There were more than 300 guard towers along
the wall. There were also 55,000 land mines. (Land mines
are bombs that are buried underground.) Families and
friends were separated on either side of the wall. When East
German leaders announced the wall would come down, it
was an emotional experience for people on both sides.
Almost immediately after the announcement, artists
from 21 countries got to work. They painted more than
a hundred paintings on the east side of the wall. Each
painting is unique and was painted at a time of hope.
Imagine you are one of the artists. The Berlin Wall—the
symbol of the Cold War—is gone. You see families and
friends reunited. Design your own painting to memorialize
this moment in history.

32
Reader’s Guide
1. Explain what you believe was the most
significant event of the Cold War.

2. Name three world leaders who played a role in

the Cold War. How did their actions affect the
Cold War?

3. Explain how the U.S. policy of containment was

used throughout the Cold War.

4. Why do you think the Cold War lasted as long as

it did?

5. Choose a significant event from the Cold War.

Explain how the United States’ and the Soviet
Union’s differing ideologies affected the event.

6. Write an interview with a Cold War leader. Be

sure to base their answers on their ideologies.
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