Cold War; September 2, 1945- December 26, 1991

1. The Cold War was fought between the Soviet Union and the United States during the late 1940s through the early 1990s.

1.1. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was majorly expensive for both sides. When the Soviet Union collasped, economies who were once part of the USSR also collasped, while economies who opposed the USSR thrived because of their downfall.

2. The United States and their allies fought to stop Joseph Stalin who was the leader of the Soviet Union, and the spread of Communism. There was a mutual sense of distrust from both sides.

2.1. The United States wanted to stop the dictatorship and human rights violations that come with Communism, while the Communist nations tried to control every aspect of a citizens life in order to support the government.

3. The Cold War was not really a "shooting" war because the two sides never actually fought, but more a war of cultures, words and ideas.

3.1. During the Cold War though, there was a large growth in the production and creation of weapons of mass destruction.

4. Towards the end of the Cold War, leaders from the United States and the Soviet Union started to engage in cooperative talks and created diplomatic relationships.

5. There were many crisis' during the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Berlin Wall.

5.1. Cuban Missile Crisis: Both the United States and the Soviet Union knew how deadly a nuclear war would be, yet the Soviet Union wanted to bring missiles to Cuba, which caused major conflict. It is known as the closest the world ever came to World War 3.

5.2. Berlin Wall: During the Cold War this was not only a physical boundary between West Berlin and East Germany, but it was also a symbolic boundary between democracy and communism. Then as communism began to falter, government officials from East Germany opened border checkpoints for people to cross over freely which resulted in much celebration.

6. There was a division between Communist Eastern Europe and the West known as the "Iron Curtain." Communist countries competed with the West economically, technologically and scientifically.

6.1. New node

6.2. http://resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com/file/view/cold_war_mp.jpg/30572399/cold_war_mp.jpg