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Cold War

Articles on the origins of the Cold War and its most important moments. Features timelines and information sheets.

Articles on the origins of the Cold War and its most important moments. Features timelines and information sheets.


What was the Warsaw Pact?

The USSR and seven European countries signed the Warsaw Pact on May 14, 1955 as a response to NATO, to have a similar alliance on the opposition side. Members included Albania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union. Through the treaty, member states promised to defend any…

Who Were the Bolsheviks and What Was Their Influence?

"Bolshevik" means "majority" and were a faction of The Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, which was formed after the Second Congress in 1903 when it split from the Mensheviks. The Congress agreed that Russia needed a revolution in order to establish Socialism. The Bolsheviks became the leading party during…

What Was the Truman Doctrine?

The Truman Doctrine arose from a speech by President Harry Truman, but it has informally become the basis of the U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War and afterwards. Historians often refer to the Truman speech as the day the Cold War started, because the policy was geared towards containing…

What is a Red Scare?

A Red Scare happens when the fear of radical leftism or communism is promoted, often in the media. This form of hysteria has been most prevalent between the 1940's and 1960's, when the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was at its height. Immigrants were treated with…

When Was the Berlin Wall Torn Down?

The Berlin Wall, often called the "Wall of Shame" and a symbol of the Iron Curtain of the Cold War, was torn down on November 9, 1989, two years after President Ronald Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." Free Travel For East Germans When Gorbachev came to…

What Was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very tense 13-day confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and is considered the closest the Cold War was to escalating in a full scale war. What could have resulted in the deaths of over 100 million people on both the Russian and…

What Was the Iron Curtain and How Did It Collapse?

The Iron Curtain is a term that received prominence after Winston Churchill's speech in which he said that an "iron curtain has descended" across Europe. He was referring to the boundary line that divided Europe in two different political areas: Western Europe had political freedom, while Eastern Europe was under…

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8 Amazing Spy Gadgets Used During the Cold War

Spying became an integral part of the Cold War. Both sides went out of their way to acquire as much knowledge as they could about each other. While Hollywood has romanticized the whole image of espionage, the real thing is far from romantic. It is a dangerous cat and mouse…

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The Cold War Timeline

This post is a comprehensive timeline of the Cold War, from the origins of the Russian-American conflict following World War Two to the final dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall at the end of the 20th century. Scroll down to learn more. Alternatively, watch…

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Fall of the Berlin Wall

At the end of World War Two Germany had been partitioned into four sectors controlled by America, Britain, France and Russia. Berlin had been similarly partitioned. In 1949 the American, British and French sectors had been combined to form West Germany a capitalist country, while the Russian sector had become…

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