The Cold War, 1945–1991

What you'll learn

The superpower rivalry between the USA and USSR.

Key themes

• The Iron Curtain; NATO vs the Warsaw Pact.
• The Berlin Airlift (1948–49), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and the Berlin Wall (1961).
• Gorbachev and the fall of the Wall (1989).

Exam tips

• Track rising and falling tension across crises.
• Use each crisis as evidence.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the two alliances.
• Muddling crisis dates.