The Modern World · 20th century
The Cold War
Forty-five years of US–Soviet rivalry without direct war: containment, the Marshall Plan and NATO, Berlin, Korea, the nuclear arms race and the Cuban Missile Crisis, proxy wars, détente, and why the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Step 1 of 6 · Overview40 min read ·
Key idea
Prereqs: World War II; Heartland (Mackinder); Schelling (deterrence). Next: The Middle East since 1918. Sources: John Lewis Gaddis's *The Cold War: A New History*, Odd Arne Westad's *The Cold War: A World History*, Crash Course World History #39.Next: 1. Origins