Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization
Driving Question: What historical factors after 1945 contributed to the emergence of the Cold War?
The Cold War and decolonization were two events tangled together in a intricate web of economics, conflict, diplomacy, and espionage. The Cold War was a global struggle between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. This overview lesson introduces you to the ways that people and governments tried to reshape the global order after the Second World War.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the historical context of the Cold War after 1945.
- Analyze historical imagery to make predictions about the Cold War.
Vocab Terms:
- Cold War
- dependency
- ideological
- nationalize
- non-alignment
- propaganda
- superpower
Propaganda is one of the most effective tools to shape public opinion—but how do we recognize it when we see it?
Poster Preview Slideshow
Help students make the content of this article stick with this annotation strategy: Have students use colored highlighters. While reading, students highlight the claim of the paragraph in one color and supporting evidence for that claim in another. If there’s 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.
Amid the Cold War, there was a great disparity between wealthy and struggling nations. But what led to this inequality?
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Why did the United States launch the Marshall Plan?
- The article cites two arguments about the “economic miracles” in Germany and Japan. What are the two arguments?
- Why were former imperial nations often able to continue exploiting their previous colonies even after independence?
- How did some African and Asian leaders fight back against this sort of dependency?
- Who did not share in the new economic prosperity in the United States?
After you read
Respond to the following questions:
- Using evidence from this article, explain the historical context of the Cold War after 1945.
- Why is it helpful to contextualize the Cold War and decolonization within the global economic situation at the end of the Second World War and in the decade that followed?
This closer is a great way for students to assess the different characteristics that apply to each of these economic systems. It will also clear up any misconceptions they might have about these systems.
The origins of the Cold War revolve around two opposed ideologies. Can you tell what’s capitalism and what’s communism?
