WORLD HISTORY READERS Level 6-④ The Cold War

Who Rules the World? What countries rule the world today? The community of countries joined by the United Nations rules the world today. How is this different from the past? The United Nations Headquarters in New York City In the past, the most powerful country often ruled over the rest and sometimes built an empire. What two countries became superpowers after World War II? The Roman Empire The United States and the Soviet Union (USSR)

The Cold War What was the war between the US and the USSR called? How long was the Cold War? It lasted 46 years! It started in 1945 and ended in 1991. Why was it called a proxy war? There were never any direct battles between the two superpowers. However, they opposed each other in self-contained wars in several places of the world such as Greece, Korea, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

The US vs. the USSR vs. United States Soviet Union What were some of the differences between the US and the USSR? United States Soviet Union vs. • Democratic • Free economy and press • Personal freedoms • Communist • State economy and controlled press • Control over its people Why did the two countries fight? It was a war to create an empire and an ideological war. Each country wanted to impose its beliefs on other countries.

How The Cold War Was Fought How was the war fought? • Through proxy wars • With psychological warfare using speeches, movies, and books • With spies • Through the space race A world map showing nuclear missiles in various countries What was Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)? Two missiles ready to be launched from a military base Both the US and the USSR had nuclear bombs, and either of them could use their deadly bombs at any time. They had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other. MAD was the knowledge that the US and the USSR could destroy each other—at the same time! A secret underground bunker The most powerful Soviet atomic bomb

An Indonesian stamp dedicated to the The Rest of the World As the Cold War developed, who supported the US? Most of the countries of Western Europe and Japan aligned themselves with the US. The US Army Station in Germany Many Eastern European countries such as Poland, East Germany, Ukraine, and Czechoslovakia aligned themselves with the USSR. Who supported the USSR? What was the Non-Aligned Movement? Countries who declared themselves neutral and did not align with either side. An Indonesian stamp dedicated to the Non- Aligned Movement It became a symbol of the Cold War. It represented the dividing line between the two superpowers. Why was the Berlin Wall important during the Cold War? The Berlin Wall

China Who imposed a communist government over China? Did China align with one side during the Cold War? Mao Zedong No, sometimes, China would be allied with the Soviet Union and the communist cause, and other times it would become friendly with the United States, particularly under President Nixon.

A Soviet ship carrying missiles as it leaves Cuba The Cuban Revolution What happened in Cuba in 1959? A revolution overthrew the dictator Batista, and Cuba became communist. Who supported this? The USSR What did the Soviet Union put in Cuba in 1962? How long did the missiles stay in Cuba? They put missiles in Cuba to threaten the United States. The location was much closer than the USSR, so the US was very worried. What was remarkable about this? 13 days A Soviet ship carrying missiles as it leaves Cuba The world had never been so close to an actual nuclear war.

The Vietnam War When did the Vietnam War begin? 1954 When did it end? US helicopters over Vietnam When did the Vietnam War begin? 1954 When did it end? 1975 A US protest against the Vietnam War In terms of the Cold War, why was it significant? The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. with the names of all the American soldiers who died It was a long, violent war with both US and Soviet involvement. The Vietnam War resulted in the deaths of many young Americans, and sparked a cultural rebellion against war in the US. What happened at the end of the Vietnam War? Vietnam became a communist country.

Laika and the satellite that took her into space The Space Race An American astronaut on the moon What were some Soviet successes during the space race? Laika and the satellite that took her into space The Soviet Union sent Sputnik, the first satellite, into space. It also sent Laika, the first dog, into space. What was the most important American success during the space race? The United States was the first to put astronauts on the moon. Apollo 11 flying to the moon

Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War. The End What happened in 1989 and 1990? The Berlin Wall came down, and the German border opened. Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War. A map of the Russian Federation When did the Soviet Union fall? The Berlin wall being torn down It fell in 1991.

Vocabulary astronaut n. atomic bomb n. a person who has been trained for traveling in space atomic bomb n. a bomb that uses explosive nuclear power

Vocabulary collapse v. imitate v. to break down; to fail to act in a similar way to someone or something else, or to copy the speech or behavior, etc. of someone or something

Vocabulary missile n. pledge v. a rocket that can travel long distances through the air pledge v. to make a serious promise

Vocabulary satellite n. unexpected adj. a device sent up into space to travel around the earth, used for collecting information or communicating by radio, television, etc. unexpected adj. not expected; surprising