Module 10: The Cold War

Image courtesy www.kremlin.ru

After World War II, there were only two remaining superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. Competition between these adversaries laid the foundation for the Cold War, which lasted over 40 years. This war was a major influence on how each superpower responded to each other's actions, and impacted the events that took place in other countries as well, especially when it came to conflict involving communism.

After World War II, the United States pursued a policy of containment against communism. This policy included the development of regional alliances against Soviet and Chinese aggression and led to armed conflict in Korea and Vietnam. The large arsenals of nuclear weapons held by both the Soviets and Americans influenced patterns of conflict and cooperation as well as the theory of deterrence.

A number of world leaders in other countries made major contributions to their respective nations. Indira Gandhi developed India’s nuclear program, while Deng Xiaoping radically transformed China’s economy. Britain's Margaret Thatcher promoted less government interference in the government while supporting the U.S. policy of containment. However, it was the U.S.S.R.'s Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms like glasnost and perestroika which had the most dramatic effects on the world. These policies lead to the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union, officially ending the Cold War.