Major Leaders and the End of the Cold War

The Cold War was not only a confrontation between the two superpowers. Over time, China became an important player in the struggle for supremacy between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although not nearly as powerful as either of the dominant countries at the time, China was a nuclear power and did not ally itself with either the Soviets or the Americans.

Three Leaders Who Changed the World

Three leaders who had a huge impact in their respective countries were Indira Gandhi of India, Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain, and Deng Xiaoping of China. Two of these leaders transformed emerging powers into major players on the world stage: Gandhi through a successful pursuit of nuclear weapons, and Deng through the transformation of China's economy into an industrial powerhouse. Thatcher oversaw the reemergence of Britain as a military power during her three terms as Prime Minister and as the leader of the Conservative Party. View this presentation to learn more about these influential figures in world history. Click the player to begin.

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Mikhail Gorbachev and the End of the Soviet Union

One of the most significant leaders of the Cold War was Mikhail Gorbachev, who unintentionally unleashed the forces that brought down the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War. In this timeline interactivity, identify the chain of events that changed the world in the 1980s by bringing an end to the Soviet Union and the Cold War in the early 1990s. Click the player to begin.

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Cold War Leaders Review

Now that you have learned about the important world leaders during the Cold War era, practice what you have learned in this interactivity. Select the characteristics that are associated with each of the world leaders provided, and click Submit to check your response. Click the player to get started.