Cold War Overview: Graphic Organizer

The Cold War was a time of tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from the end of World War II in 1945 until 1991. The two superpowers never fought a direct war against each other, but they were involved in many proxy wars, such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Cold War started because the United States and the Soviet Union had different ideas about how countries should be run. The United States believed in democracy, where the people elect their leaders and have individual freedoms. The Soviet Union believed in communism, where the government controls everything and everyone is equal. The United States and the Soviet Union both wanted to spread their ideas and influence around the world, which led to a lot of tension between them. They also built up huge military forces, including nuclear weapons, to try to scare each other into backing down. The most dangerous time during the Cold War was in 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union had secretly put nuclear missiles in Cuba, which is very close to the United States. The United States demanded that the missiles be removed, and there was a tense standoff between the two superpowers. Eventually, the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles, and the crisis was over. The Cold War ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. The United States emerged as the world's only superpower, and there was a lot of hope for peace and cooperation between countries. While there are still tensions between countries today, the world is much more peaceful than it was during the Cold War.

Teacher-prepared notes show students what is important and how ideas relate, and offer a model for how students should take notes themselves (Marzano et al., 2001). These teacher-created notes will help your students grasp the major events of the Cold War era. These notes work well as a supplement to class readings!

Thumbnail and product clipart credit: By Prince Padania and by Dandy Doodles

This product provides students with an easy-to-understand overview of the major issues, leaders, and events associated with the Cold War.