The History Cat
The History Cat: Cold War Germany
Describes what happened to Germany at the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War, how it was divided into East and West Germany with the construction of the Berlin Wall. Western countries worked to rehabilitate their half of...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Cold War: How Did It Start? How Did It End? [Pdf]
Article discussing 45 years of the Cold War between Russia and the U.S. Questions for discussion and small group activity.
US National Archives
Docs Teach: President Reagan and the Cold War: Vision and Diplomacy
See how Ronald Reagan's rhetoric evolved from his speech calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire" to his signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by examining photographs and documents.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Start of Cold War, Part 2: Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
Explains President Truman's plan to contain communism, which signaled the end of American isolationism. Also discusses America's pledge of financial aid to rebuild Europe with the Marshall Plan.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: Start of the Cold War the Yalta Conference
Learn how the end of World War II contributed to the rise of the Cold War.
PBS
Pbs: Wwii Behind Closed Doors: Prelude to Cold War
This article discusses the uneasy alliance maintained by Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II and the implications of this alliance on the development of the Cold War.
BBC
Bbc: Cold War: Reform, Coup and Collapse: The End of the Soviet State
A series of six pages that chronicle the demise of the Soviet Union.
Digital History
Digital History: From Wartime Allies to Cold War Enemies [Pdf]
This timeline traces the devolution of the relationship between the United States and Soviet Union from the end of World War II, where these two countries were allies, albeit suspicious of each other, and almost a year after the end of...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 35: The Melting of the Cold War
As the Cold War evolved over four decades, the end of the world seemed imminent as the nuclear arms race continued to escalate. Popular music, especially in the 1980s, reflected this growing pessimism. By 1989 and 1990, as the Berlin...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: End to the Cold War
Brief overview of G. W. Bush administration policy and the collapse of the Soviet Union effectively ending the Cold War.
Curated OER
Cbc.ca: Comfort and Fear Cold War Canada
Following the end of WW11, relations between the Soviet Union and the USA turned hostile and negative. Canada quickly became involved in the Cold War. An overview of this period of spying, propaganda, communist paranoia, and even...
Central Intelligence Agency
Cia: At Cold War's End: Us Intelligence on the Soviet Union, 1989 1991
The CIA offers a collection of declassified documents that are Adobe PDF files and can be downloaded regarding the Soviet Union and from US Intelligence in the years 1989-1991. Also contains an introduction and complete overview of this...
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson Center: Digital Archive: End of the Cold War
This is a collection of primary source documents covering the collapse of the Soviet Union during the late 1980's. The collection contains documents from archives in most of the former Soviet bloc countries. They discuss the changes...
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson Center: Digital Archive: Cold War Origins
This collection of primary source documents discusses international relations during World War II and the years shortly after. It begins with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed in 1939 and ends with documents from the 1950's. The...
Center for Educational Technologies
Nasa Classroom of the Future: Korean Enigma: Korea Divided
Explores the historical events that took place between the United States and the USSR to bring about the political division of Korea on the 38th parallel into north and south after the end of World War II.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: American History: End to the Cold War
Read this concise depiction highlighting the events leading to the end of the Cold War.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: Period 9: 1980 Present: The End of the Cold War
Take a quick comprehension check over the end of the Cold War.
Other
Cold War and New Zealand
Describes New Zealand during the Cold War. Looks at New Zealand's political landscape during WWI, WWII, its military interventions, its membership in SEATO, and its antinuclear stance.
George Mason University
Chnm: Making the History of 1989
Excellent online resource that through the use of primary sources and scholar interviews, focuses on the historical events of 1989 that deal with the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Great teacher resource with lesson plans...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of the u.s. Becoming Free Webisode 16
A brief look at contemporary American history from the administration of Richard Nixon to Sept. 11, 2001.
The Cold War Museum
The Cold War Museum
Choose a decade of the Cold War to explore on the time line or take a look at the online exhibits. This site has great information about the Cold War.
National Archives (UK)
National Archives Learning Curve: Cold War
Discusses different aspects of the Cold War such as "Did the Cold War really start in 1919-1939?" and "Was the Vietnam War a turning point in the Cold War?"
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The End of the Cold War
Read about the surprising and swift collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries beginning with Poland in 1989. Watch a map which shows the change from a single country, USSR, into many independent countries, and find out...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Cold War Erupts
World War II ended in 1945 and the Cold War began immediately. Read about the mistrust Western Europe and the United States felt towards the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin. Learn how the Soviets expanded their realm of influence and...