THE COLD WAR ERA (1945-1991)

COLD WAR
Term used to describe the hostile and competitive relationship between
the USA and Soviet Union in the years after WWII
Tensions never resulted in total war however both superpowers took
actions to deliberately frustrate, criticize, undermine and spy on each
other without openly declaring war
Both countries built up their armies to show their strength; this lead to an
ARMS RACE with both countries developing NUCLEAR WEAPONS and other
war equipment
Both countries were fearful of each others military ability>this may have
helped to in fact avoid war because they feared one another, however, if
war did break out it was certain to be disastrous. Both countries had
enough Nuclear Weapons to destroy each other several times over.

CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR:

After WWII the USA and S.U emerged as the two most
powerful countries; they had different governments,
economic systems and ways of life
Each superpower was determined to prove its superiority
Both superpowers distrusted each other and wanted to
destroy each other to prove their system was best>
CONFLICT OVER IDEOLODY
After WWII an IRON CURTAIN was created- an imaginary
boundary between the countries under Soviet Influence and
other countries- the Soviet Union built a REAL boundary
between EAST AND WEST GERMANY called the BERLIN
WALL in order to block the free movement of people
between the east (communist) and west (democratic)
Until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the two superpowers
competed against one another and on several occasions
came close to war
VS.