Origins of the Cold War
Driving Question: What led to the competition between Soviet-style communism and American capitalism?
After the Second World War, the world’s two strongest nations championed opposing visions for the world. Learn how competing ideologies, broken economies, and new weapons set the stage for a high-stakes global conflict.
Learning Objectives:
- Use evidence to understand how economic and political systems fueled early Cold War tensions.
- Use the historical thinking practice of sourcing to evaluate different points of view regarding what led to the Cold War.
Vocab Terms:
“World War I, Russia, and Propaganda” provided us a ton of resources for analyzing the past. Learn how other teachers guide students to analyze propaganda material in this Community thread.
The origins of the Cold War revolve around two opposed ideologies. Can you tell what’s capitalism and what’s communism?
Alert! Your students are solving a mystery in this activity—so be careful not to give away the name of the Cuban Missile Crisis or any other important details until they begin their detective work!
Read the Lesson Guide for the full instructions. You’ll need some envelopes labeled “Top Secret.” Also, print out one set of Top Secret Documents for each group of 3–4 students.
Did you know: The famous Washington–Moscow “hotline” created after the Cuban Missile Crisis was never actually a red telephone. It began as a secure text communication link. Typed messages reduced the risk of mishearing something in a crisis.
Dive into the early tensions that sparked the Cold War. Discover how the race for influence, clashing ideologies, and new global challenges reshaped the world after 1945.
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Guiding Questions
Annotation strategy: Have students use colored highlighters. During reading, students highlight the claim of the paragraph in one color and supporting evidence for that claim in another. If there is a counterclaim, they would highlight that in a third color. This allows them to see the key points and how the author is structuring the text. Read an article and do a think-aloud of this strategy together before having students complete one on their own
Why did the US and the Soviet Union switch from allies to enemies after World War II? Explore the factors that led to the Cold War and how these tensions escalated during this 45-year battle of ideologies.
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Guiding Questions
“The Cold War Ended in 1991…Right?” Find answers to this Cold War question by reading this blog post.
The Cold War wasn’t just about politics—it was about survival. Learn how the arms and space races fueled global tensions and how leaders navigated the threat of nuclear war.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
The Cold War had many hot spots. In this activity, you’ll choose one Cold War event and write a breaking news story from a perspective of your choice.
The Cold War shaped half of the twentieth century through a fierce rivalry between two superpowers. Explore how the competition unfolded across the world with this article and video.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
