The Cold War

The Yalta Conference in 1945,where the leaders of the Allied Powers sought not only to conclude the Second World War but also to determine the nature of the post-war world.

The Cold War is the long period of time after the Second World War where political and military tensions existed between the Eastern bloc of nations (the Soviet Union and her satellite states) and the Western bloc (the United States and her allies).

At its worst, the Cold War tensions escalated to terrifying heights which would threaten to spiral out of control, plunging the world into nuclear war. An example of this was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

The nearly-two weeks which marked the Cuban Missile Crisis was made into an excellent movie titled Thirteen Days. It recreates the tension and strain of those dramatic days very vividly.

Although an all-out cataclysmic nuclear war was successfully averted, many "small" wars and military conflicts did occur, such as the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War.

Some very helpful websites on the Cold War include:

ALPHA History: Cold War Topics (a collection of articles and resources by academics)

The Cold War video channel. Many different and little known features of the Cold War era brought to life here.

The Cold War era was also known for its espionage. Many countries engaged spies to infiltrate enemy nations, operate undercover and obtain highly sensitive intelligence. Many Hollywood movies have been produced with such scenarios providing the backdrop.

This dramatic four or five decades between the late 1940s and the early 1990s was also marked by strident and vocal social movements, many of which were anti-establishment in nature. Anti-war protests were common in the USA, and the constant threat of war turned many young people against their governments as well as against many commonly-accepted social norms.

Here is a quick summary of the Cold War.

USEFUL VIDEOS

(NEW!) The Cold War Channel is chock full of facts, information and earth-shattering events that dominated the world during the Cold War era.

(NEW!) 50 Insane Cold War Facts that will Shock You! and much more on the INFOGRAPHICS SHOW, including How did the Cold War Happen?

(NEW!) One of the more enthralling things to come out of the Cold War was the James Bond movie series - and all other spy movies. This is the first Bond movie - Dr. No, filmed in the 1950s, in which the master spy has to prevent an eccentric scientist from destroying the US space programme. Watch all the Bond movie trailers here.

(NEW!) How about the Mission Impossible series, if you enjoy modern day spy thrillers with plenty of references to the Cold War ear.

(NEW!) The Cold War Explained in 15 Minutes.

(NEW!) The Cold War 1917 - 1991

(NEW!) The Cold War in Asia.

(NEW!) Great documentary on how the British and Malayan people fought off the Communists during the Malayan Emergency.

How the Cold War happened (4 mins, a How It Happened video)

The Berlin Wall was probably the preeminent symbol of the divisions created by the Cold War. Learn why and how the Wall was built in 1961.

The building of the Berlin Wall (6 min) and a quick explanation here by Simple History (4 min)

The Start of the Cold War (a Pow Toons production)

The Berlin Blockade (10 min, part of the BBC episode Cold War Confrontation)

The Berlin Blockade, in 5 min. Here is a vivid 1949 documentary depiction of the "Berlin Airlift: A Great Achievement" (10 min). History.com has a brief 3 min summary here.

Ten sensational escapes from East Berlin.

Without doubt, the symbol par excellence of the divisions created by the Cold War was The Berlin Wall. Here is an excellent visually-imaginative documentary (10 min) recreating the workings of the wall and its surrounding entrapments. As always, Simple History has produced a concise and well-presented clip for us on the Berlin Wall.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was one major moment in history Watch the CNN coverage below of this earth-shaking event. Here is the TIME magazine's assessment of the Fall of the Wall.

Another excellent movie recently made is Bridge of Spies, based on the true story of a high level spy-exchange between the USA and the USSR.

Seven ways to escape from the North Korean communist regime, if you're unfortunate enough to be living there.

Ten crazy laws that only exist in North Korea.

Weird things that exist only in North Korea.

The infamous "Checkpoint Charlie," the entry-exit point between East and West Berlin, symbol of Cold War tensions.

A fascinating documentary examining life in North Korea today. Here is another produced by the 60 Minutes team, Inside North Korea: an exclusive insight (30 min)

Why did America fight the Korean War (5 min summary)

The Simple History version on the Korean War (5 min)

What Caused the Korean War (10 min Infographics Show)

A BBC documentary of the Korean War (10 min)

A video overview of the Korean War (40 min, but blurred footage)

The difference between North and South Korea - from the air.

The Cuban Missile Crisis (Part 1) of 1962, documentary by History Channel. Part 2 and Part 3 are here.

A brief 5 minute summary of the Cuban Crisis, by Simple History. This quick overview is by TED Ed (5 min).

BBC History File The Cuban Missile Crisis (23 min)

Fascinating story of how a Soviet naval officer played his part in preventing the Cuban Missile Crisis from exploding out of control.

What if the Cuban Missile Crisis had led to war?

Explained below: the Letter of Last Resort. This is a most sobering look at the very last orders of the British government in the event that it has been destroyed in a nuclear strike.

Watch a clip on Five Secret Government Doomsday Documents, including the Letter of Last Resort.

Historians debate the exact date for the end of the Cold War. However, what is certain is that the horrendously tense half-century of Cold War tension did boil over and culminate in the decline and collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cod War.

Much of the reasons for the thaw in US-Soviet relations was the American presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.