Human Heritage: A World History

"The Cold War"

Introduction
Soon after World War II ended, a split occurred between the Soviet Union and other Allied Powers. At issue was the Soviet threat to spread communism beyond its borders. Gradually, the Cold War developed. Tensions were so high during this period that people feared the outbreak of the world’s first all-out nuclear war. To learn more about the characteristics of the Cold War era, visit the "CNN Perspective Series: The Cold War" Web site.

Destination Title: CNN Perspective Series: The Cold War

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Directions
Start at the "CNN Perspective Series: The Cold War" Web site.

• Click on “Culture” and explore the “Television Timeline.” Be sure to take notes as you navigate the Web site.
• Next click on “Technology” and read through the “War Breeds Innovation Timeline.”
• Next click on “Espionage” and read “The Invisible War,” an excerpt from the book "Cold War: An Illustrated History."
• Finally, click on “The bomb” and read the letter JFK wrote to the nation, “Preparing for Doomsday.”
• Use what you have learned to answer the questions below.

1			Which television show “addressed the conflict in Cold War America between the growing scientific, emotionally detached technocracy and the humanists who advocated national policy predicted on more emotional grounds”?
2			Why was the first smoke detector created?
3			Why was the Soviet atomic bomb ready two years earlier than expected?
4			What was stocked in new, as well as some existing, federal buildings’ fallout shelters?
5			What role do you think culture played in the Cold War? Why do you think the Cold War developed, and why does it still exist in some aspects? Provide your response in a one-page essay.