Should the United States be praised or condemned for its actions during the Cold War?
World War II was over and the Allies had won! What came next? War destruction covered both Europe and Japan. Although the Soviet Union had been an ally of the United States during the war, now that the war was over they had developed their own atomic weapons, and they became the second superpower. Europe was being divided up into those areas under communist control and those that would remain democracies. An iron curtain began to form across Europe starting with the city of Berlin itself and later the construction of the Berlin Wall. Closer to home, communist leader Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba and suddenly the threat of nuclear destruction became a reality. Joe McCarthy and others were convinced that there were communists everywhere from the Secretary of State to Hollywood. Children in schools practiced "duck and cover" drills, hoping that they would never have to use them. It was an interesting time to live in the United States. Read on, and think about the following questions to get you started on this unit. By the end, you will know the answers to them all.
1. What are the basic differences between communism and capitalism?
2. What does the term Cold War mean? How did the Cold War start? How long did it last?
3. Why did people fear communism during the Cold War? Who was Joe McCarthy?
4. How did the Vietnam War begin and end?
5. What was the Cuban Missile Crisis? How did President Kennedy help resolve this crisis?
6. What does the term nuclear arms race mean? Who wins in this type of race?
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