that the nations who took this money could take part in the World Bank. Even though the Soviet Union and the nations it occupied suffered the brunt of the war, Stalin would not allow the money with the stipulations the United States placed on it. Stalin also occupied East Berlin while the West occupied the western part of the city. Stalin impoverished East Germany and blockaded West Berlin in an attempt to force the Western powers out. The United States led an airlift to resupply Western Berlin in what was called the Berlin Airlift. The Soviets ended the blockade but built the Berlin Wall, which would stay up and be a symbol of repression throughout the remainder of the Cold War.

Another early test of the Cold War was the Soviet Union's development of the atomic bomb. The United States only learned of the Soviet nuclear test through spy planes, which flew into Soviet airspace and detected radioactive isotopes. The United States correctly suspected spies in its own nuclear program and throughout the Cold War continuously searched for spies in both civilian and military circles. This would ultimately lead to nuclear buildup between the two nations and the development of more nuclear arms. By the end of the Cold both the United States and the Soviet Union possessed enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over.

The most recurrent theme throughout the Cold War was the spread of both nations's ideologies. The fall of China to communism in 1949 was especially important, as many saw it as the direct result of Soviet intervention. This caused the United States to back a pro-Western government in south Korea when it was invaded by the communist north. The Korean War ultimately ended in a stalemate, with neither side able to claim victory. The Untied States would also send aid to pro-Western governments in Iran and South Vietnam, with military intervention being used in the latter in a very controversial war. One of the primary ways to receive American aid during this period was for a nation to claim to be anti-Soviet. The Soviet Union also propped up their own puppet regime in North Vietnam. This led to the United States and the Soviet Union fighting proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, costing each nation trillions of dollars and destroying countless lives.

The Cold War finally ended in the late 1980s through the early 1990s, after the two nations used more openness in their relations. The Soviet Union ultimately collapsed, with the former Soviet satellite states breaking away to form their own nations. Both the United States and Russia still maintain large nuclear arsenals but are less likely to use them on each other.

After World War II, the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States escalated quickly since the nations had differing world views, especially in regard to economic systems (capitalism versus communism). The Cold War is marked by significant events which occurred in the decades of political, economic, and military maneuvering by the two nations.

The first major event that set the tone for the Cold War which you should explore was the Berlin Airlift, which occurred right after WWII, as the Allied troops (including Russia and the US) jointly occupied Berlin. Desiring expansion and the removal of American influence in Western Europe, specifically West Berlin, the Soviet Union set up a blockade in 1948 that prevented American and British aid to West Berlin. The U.S. and Britain responded with the Berlin Airlift, successfully circumventing the blockade. Consider the reaction of European nations when Stalin backed down and America stood up to Soviet aggression.

As the world was licking its wounds from the devastation of WWII, another war began in Asia in 1950, called the Korean War. At first glance, it appeared to be just a civil war of Koreans pitted against one another (the North versus the South); however, each side had the support of other nations. Soviets and Chinese backed the aggressors of the North who invaded South Korea, and the United States backed South Korea. The war lasted three years, with many losses on both sides. The armistice, which technically still lasts today, kept the nation divided at the 38th parallel. You could research how this conflict affected how both American and Soviet military forces were viewed. (America considered the war a kind of victory, as communism was pushed back, and South Korea is still operating in a free, capitalistic society today. Soviets considered it a victory, as the North remained communist.)

In 1960, another event occurred. The Soviet Union shot down an American reconnaissance plane, called a U-2, and captured the American pilot, Gary Powers. Powers was held in the Soviet Union for two years (he was sentenced to ten) as American diplomatic attempts to meet with the Soviet Union were dismissed. Consider how and why the Soviet Union claimed this as a propaganda victory, and Americans were furious. Tensions between the countries continued to build.

Two years later, a serious confrontation occurred near American soil, which threatened the lives of many Americans: the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1962, American planes flew over Cuba often, as the Soviet Union was actively backing the military of communist Cuba. When a US plane photographed nuclear missile silos/sites on the island, President Kennedy issued a strong warning to the Soviet leader Khrushchev; then, the world watched as a standoff occurred between the two superpowers for two weeks. The nuclear missiles could have devastated parts of America. Each side prepared for a possible nuclear war. At last, Khrushchev removed his missiles, and later America did the same in Turkey to reduce further nuclear tensions.

The next major event you could include in your answer is the Vietnam War. Similar to the Korean War, this conflict was a match of (Soviet-backed) northern aggressors who invaded (American-backed) southerners. American leaders declared that in both Korea and Vietnam, the U.S. was trying to contain communism; the policy of “containment” was espoused by many Americans. However, the results were far less clear and positive for the Vietnamese. It was a very long war (over a decade) with great loss and heartache.

You should also consider exploring the media war of propaganda that took place between the nations, as each tried to assure its citizens of its own victory and world leadership. As well, you can focus on the “race to space” that occurred over the decades of the Cold War, spurring mathematical and scientific education. Likewise, you may also research the building and testing of the hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) by each nation as a way to flex their military muscles.

Lastly, the most significant indicator of the end to the Cold War was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in Germany in 1989. Consider how this was able to occur and the powerful symbolism of the wall.