Cold War Unit
Introductory Essay
The Cold War unit covers from 1945-1991. Most of the emphasis on this unit is placed on superpower rivalry and ideological struggle between the US and USSR. This is a major prep for a Paper Two Cold War question, and is of interest to HL and SL students.
This topic addresses East–West relations from 1945. It aims to promote an international perspective and
understanding of the origins, course and effects of the Cold War—a conflict that dominated global affairs
from the end of the Second World War to the early 1990s. It includes superpower rivalry and events in all
areas affected by Cold War politics such as spheres of interest, wars (proxy), alliances and interference in
developing countries.
Material for detailed study
• Wartime conferences: Yalta and Potsdam
• US policies and developments in Europe: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO
• Soviet policies, Sovietization of Eastern and Central Europe, COMECON, Warsaw Pact
• Sino–Soviet relations
• US–Chinese relations
• Germany (especially Berlin (1945-61)), Congo (1960-64), Afghanistan (1979-88), Korea, Cuba,
Vietnam, Middle East
• Castro, Gorbachev, Kennedy, Mao, Reagan, Stalin, Truman
Syllabus readings
Please ask Mr. Faught for the URL containing the readings.
Websites
WWW Virtual Library: Cold War History