Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91
25 eLearning modules · CPD Certified · SCORM
The Cold War (1941–1991) was a tense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers emerging after World War II. It was marked by ideological conflict—capitalism versus communism—and a race for global influence. Key events included the nuclear arms race, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam. Both powers formed military alliances: NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The Cold War shaped global politics through espionage, propaganda, and competition in space exploration. It ended with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, leaving the U.S. as the dominant superpower.
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What this lesson contains
The Beginning of the Cold War
The End of the Grand Alliance
The Breakdown of Trust
Satellite statesPreview not available
The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall PlanPreview not available
Cominform, Comecon and NATOPreview not available
Germany and the Cold WarPreview not available
The Arms Race and the Warsaw PactPreview not available
Soviet control in HungaryPreview not available
The Soviet invasion of Hungary, 1956Preview not available
A Divided BerlinPreview not available
The Cuban Missile Crisis: OriginsPreview not available
Czechoslovakia and the Prague SpringPreview not available
The Construction of the Berlin WallPreview not available
The Events of the Cuban Missile CrisisPreview not available
The Consequences of the Cuban Missile CrisisPreview not available
The Brezhnev Doctrine and Soviet Control in CzechoslovakiaPreview not available
International reaction to Soviet measures in CzechoslovakiaPreview not available
The Berlin Wall and US–Soviet relationsPreview not available
Détente in the 1970sPreview not available
Salt II and the Failures of DétentePreview not available
Gorbachev's New Thinking and the INF TreatyPreview not available
Soviet Invasion of AfghanistanPreview not available
Reagan and the Second Cold WarPreview not available
The End of the Cold WarPreview not available