Unit XVIII:  The Cold War - New Power Relationships in the Post-War World

Enduring Understandings

1.      The Cold War resulted from a variety of conflicts between the US and USSR which began even before WWII was finished.

2.      The existence of nuclear weapons added a new dimension to post-war conflicts and diplomacy.

3.      De-colonization and the rise of the Third World also complicated international affairs.

4.      Eastern and Western Europeans were often unhappy with domination by the superpowers but were politically and economically forced to submit to their wishes.

5.      The Cold War created cultural and social turbulence in Europe.

6.      Cold War tensions eventually led both Eastern and Western Europeans to seek ways to separate themselves from the influence of the superpowers.

Essential Questions

1.      What were the steps in the outbreak and development of the Cold War, & what led to confrontation and conflict between the USSR & the West?

2.      To what extent were E. and W. European Nations capable of controlling their own fate?  (Did this differ between E. and W. European nations?)

3.      How did the rise of Communist China affect the relationships between the US, USSR, and the European nations?

4.      How did de-colonization affect Europe?

5.      To what extent were cold war tensions reflected in Europe socially, culturally, and artistically?

6.      To what extent did the women’s movement of the 1970’s affect European women?

7.      What new dimensions have nuclear arms added to international relations?

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