The Cold war 1945-1990

45 years out in the cold

The module analyses the history of the Cold War from its origins in the early 1940s to the Arms Control Agreements of the late 1980s and the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.

Key themes will include the Soviet consolidation of power in Eastern Europe; the Marshall Plan and the Berlin Airlift; the Soviet invasion of Hungary; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the China factor; Détente; Reagan and Gorbachev; Cold War propaganda and disinformation, the Stasi and the Berlin wall.

Historical Debate over origins of the Cold War
Europe: Cold War crises from the Berlin Blockade to the Prague Spring

Berlin timeline and notable events
Superpower rivalry in the Third World

The age of the spies
Collapse of Communism and the 'End' of the Cold War