The Cold War
Introduction to the Cold War
The essence of the Cold War was a global competition between differing world views held by the two major super powers of that time, the United States and the Soviet Union. The competition between those viewpoints, and the nations supporting them, would last for forty-five years, from the end of World War II until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Cold War would impact American politics, foreign affairs, and the role of government in the economy.
The world view that would ultimately triumph was represented by the United States. The United States and other western nations believed in democratic political institutions, individual freedoms, and free market economic systems. On the other side, the Soviet Union and other communist nations believed in totalitarian government and socialist government controlled economic systems. The Cold War was the conflict between these two systems.
This time period is called the Cold War because the United States and the Soviet Union never engaged in direct fighting, or a “hot war”, against each other. The two countries did, however, conduct hundreds of nuclear field exercises in preparation for war. For example, the above picture depicts a test site in Nevada on November 1, 1951. The conflict was instead fought using substitutes, words, spies, and other subtle “cold war” techniques.
Atom Bombs, Spies, and Growing Fears
During the Cold War, both superpowers engaged in a nuclear arms race. Although the United States initially had the upper hand, spies provided the Soviet Union with intelligence that enabled the country to catch up in the competition. As the public learned about Americans spying for the Soviet Union, fears about the spread of communism escalated. In this interactivity, you will learn about atom bombs, spies, and growing fears. Click the player button to begin.
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Massive Retaliation
“The way to deter aggression is for the free community to be willing and able to respond vigorously at places and with means of its own choosing.”
-Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, January 12, 1954
In the 1950s, the United States was concerned that the Soviet Union, with its larger military, might try to conquer new territory. Under President Dwight Eisenhower, shown in the picture to the right, the United States adopted a policy called “massive retaliation,” to try to prevent this from happening. Specifically, the United States enacted massive retaliation to thwart a nuclear attack. Through this strategy, the United States warned the Soviet Union that it would not hesitate to retaliate with a massive nuclear attack. Ultimately, the risk of mutually assured destruction may pinpoint the reason the Cold War never turned into an actual shooting war between the two superpowers.
Impact on American Home Life
The way Americans acted and thought altered during the Cold War. In addition, this time period changed foreign policy. In this interactivity, you will explore impacts the Cold War had on the American homefront. Click the player button to begin.
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During the Cold War, the U.S. government came up with various plans for its citizens to follow in order to survive a nuclear attack, including the use of fallout shelters and duck-and-cover drills. There were also warning systems developed to send out alerts in the case of an impending attack. In the video N.E.A.R. Device, from eMediaVASM, join history detective, Gwen Wright, as she looks into the meaning behind a black box, and how it may have been developed to help keep Americans safe.
Virginia During the Cold War
The Cold War largely affected Virginia due to the location of several large naval and air bases in Hampton Roads, the Pentagon in Northern Virginia, and the private military contractors that supported those installations. As the federal government increased military spending, Virginia's economy benefited more than any other state, and an influx in monetary resources and personnel provided a boom to Virginia's
economy.
One of the shipyards that expanded during the Cold War was located in Newport News, Virginia. The shipyard is known for its ability to build nuclear-powered warships, like the USS Enterprise, that is shown in the picture above. Due to an increase in funding during the Cold War, the Newport News shipyard grew, and is still flourishing today. Take a moment to view the video, Newport News, from eMediaVASM, and learn about some of the impacts the Newport News shipyard had in the 1950s, and continues to have presently.
The Cold War Review
Now that you have learned about the Cold War, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Answer questions to learn which words to find in the puzzle. Click the player to get started.