Two Sides Face Off in Europe

NATO and the Warsaw Pact were divided by the Iron Curtain. In Berlin, floods of people were

leaving East Berlin for the more prosperous West Berlin, so a wall was built to keep the East

Germans in. Many Eastern European countries revolted against Soviet authority.

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The Cold WarSection 1: The Cold War Unfolds

Witness History Audio: An Iron Curtain

Note Taking Transparency 176

Witness History Audio: Closing the Gate

Witness History Video: The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall

Nuclear Weapons Threaten the World

The United States and the Soviet Union each developed nuclear weapons to maintain a “balance

of terror.” Both countries also participated in Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to keep the number

of nuclear weapons down, as well as the number of anti-ballistic missiles. These agreements led

to a détente in the 1970s.

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The Cold WarSection 1: The Cold War Unfolds

The Cold War Goes Global

The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. formed more alliances in order to protect their interests around the world.

They confronted each other indirectly by taking sides in local conflicts—providing weapons, training,

and other aid to opposing forces. Cuba was home to the major Cold War conflict in the Western

Hemisphere, with a communist government retaining control.

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The Cold WarSection 1: The Cold War Unfolds

Witness History Video: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Color Transparency 181: Europe During the Cold War

Geography Interactive: The Cold War, 1977

The Soviet Union in the Cold War

The Soviets wanted to spread their ideology and command economy to other countries. Of

Stalin’s successors, all maintained Communist party control, but Khrushchev closed the prison

camps that had held political enemies and he also eased censorship. Under Leonid Brezhnev,

government critics again faced arrest.

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The Cold WarSection 1: The Cold War Unfolds

Color Transparency 182: No Time to Take a Bow

The United States in the Cold War

The American government tried to keep communism from spreading, while individual Americans

tried to protect themselves from nuclear fallout by building shelters and conducting air-raid drills.

The fear of nuclear war led to a fear of all communists, and Senator Joseph McCarthy led a

campaign to root out all American communists and communist sympathizers.

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The Cold WarSection 1: The Cold War Unfolds

QuickTake Section Quiz

Progress Monitoring Transparency

The Cold War: Section 1Note Taking Transparency 176

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The Cold War: Section 1Color Transparency 181: Europe During the Cold War

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The Cold War: Section 1Color Transparency 182: No Time to Take a Bow

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The Cold War: Section 1Progress Monitoring Transparency (1 of 2)

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The Cold War: Section 1Progress Monitoring Transparency (2 of 2)

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