The Cold War
Let us not be deceived—we are today in the midst of a cold war.
—Bernard Baruch, banker and presidential advisor, 1947
Learning Objectives
- B: Explain the causes and effects of the ideological struggle of the Cold War.
After World War II, the democratic United States and the authoritarian Soviet
Union emerged as the strongest countries in the world. Both countries had expanded their territorial control and influence after the war. After the Potsdam Conference in Germany in 1945, Truman and Stalin soon recognized their rivalry for dominance over Europe and Asia. The ideological conflict noted by Baruch, the power struggle between capitalism (led by the United States) and communism (led by the Soviet Union), was the central global conflict over the next 40 years.
Sections
Cooperation Despite Conflict: The United Nations
Rivalry in Economics and Politics
Conflicts in International Affairs
The Space Race and the Arms Race
The Non-Aligned Movement
Think As a Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: EXPLAIN THE HISTORICAL SITUATION Of THE “RED SCARE”
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Reflect
REFLECT ON THE TOPIC ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. In one to three paragraphs, explain the causes and effects of the ideological struggle of the Cold War.
AP Exam Practice
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