The Cold War

The United States and the Soviet Union emerged from World War II as the world’s dominant superpowers. Former allies, they soon became enemies in what was known as the Cold War.

The Cold War started when the Soviet Union set up Communist governments in the countries of Eastern Europe liberated by the Red Army. This effectively divided Europe by an ‘iron curtain’.

After the war, Germany was divided between the Allies. The US, Britain and France controlled the west of the country, while the east was controlled by the Soviet Union. The Capital, Berlin, lay within Soviet-controlled territory, but was also divided by a concrete wall.

Both sides built up huge stocks of nuclear weapons. This led to another crisis in 1962, when Cuban dictator Fidel Castro allowed the Soviet Union to build missile bases in Cuba. US President John F. Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba. The missiles were eventually removed, preventing a nuclear war.

Both sides spent vast sums on weapons. Although they never fought directly, they did get involved in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. They also carried on a spying and propaganda campaign against one another for many years.

ALLIANCES

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (whose symbol is shown here) was set up on 4 April, 1949, with its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. It was a military alliance between several Western European countries, Canada and the United States against aggression from any outside nation. In 1955, the Soviet Union formed an alliance of Communist states – the Warsaw Pact.