The Cold War 1945-1990 by Josh Ciarletta

Alpha History: Cold War Espionage

jtciarletta — 2025-06-08 22:30:41 UTC

This article from Alpha History dives into Cold War espionage, showing how the U.S. and the Soviet Union used spy agencies like the CIA and KGB to gather secret info and counter each other’s moves. It covers dramatic moments like the 1960 U‑2 incident where Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR and high-stakes operations like the CIA/MI6 Berlin cable-tapping tunnel, the Cambridge Five leaking atomic secrets to the Soviets, and early spy satellites that reshaped surveillance. It’s a wild look into how spies shaped the Cold War behind the scenes.

National Air and Space Museum: Speed and the Cold War

jtciarletta — 2025-06-08 22:40:57 UTC

This Smithsonian Air & Space article shows how speed—whether in planes, rockets, or satellites—became a Cold War weapon all its own. Both the U.S. and USSR poured resources into breaking records—from Chuck Yeager’s supersonic Bell X‑1 to ultra-fast spy planes and rockets—because being fastest meant gaining military advantage, intelligence superiority, and global reputation.

The National Archives: The Berlin Wall

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:02:10 UTC

This article from the National Archives gives a powerful breakdown of how and why the Berlin Wall went up almost overnight in August 1961. It explains that the wall wasn’t just about keeping people out—it was built by East Germany to stop its own citizens from escaping to the West. The article dives into how the wall physically evolved from barbed wire to a massive concrete barrier with guard towers, dogs, and floodlights, turning West Berlin into a kind of island of freedom surrounded by heavy defenses.

Open Ended Social Studies: Cuban Missile Crisis Infographic

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:05:06 UTC

This colorful infographic lays out the Cuban Missile Crisis timeline in a clear, bite-sized visual—it highlights the key triggers (like the U‑2 spy plane photos that revealed Soviet missiles in Cuba), President Kennedy’s choice of a “quarantine” over an invasion, intense back‑and‑forth between Kennedy and Khrushchev, and the secret bargain that removed Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for U.S. missiles being pulled from Turkey.

UVA Miller Center : McCarthyism & The Red Scare

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:06:45 UTC

This Miller Center article dives into the heart of America’s “Second Red Scare,” showing how from around 1950 to 1954, Senator Joe McCarthy whipped the country into a frenzy over an alleged internal Communist threat. It’s a solid resource for exploring how fear and political rhetoric can spiral into mass hysteria and undermine democratic norms.

Never Was Magazine: Global Pattern of the Red Offensive Map

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:12:47 UTC

This 1962 Cold War map gives a super clear picture of how the world was divided during the Cold War, with communist countries in red and Western allies in blue. It’s a great way for students to quickly see just how far the conflict reached around the globe. The map also opens the door for some good questions—like why some countries stayed neutral or what influenced others to pick a side.

Crash Course: The Cold War in Asia

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:14:01 UTC

This Crash Course video by John Green breaks down how the Cold War turned hot in Asia, focusing on the Korean and Vietnam Wars as major proxy wars between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It covers U.S. involvement in Korea as a UN "police action" and how the Vietnam conflict escalated from supporting France to full military engagement. The video also explores the domino theory, public backlash, and how Nixon’s Vietnamization plan marked the beginning of America’s exit.

Alpha History: Détente

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:17:15 UTC

This Alpha History article on détente explains how between roughly 1967 and 1979, the U.S. and Soviet Union intentionally dialed down their Cold War showdown—using diplomacy instead of threats. It covers key moves like Nixon’s visit to Moscow, SALT I & II arms-control treaties, the Apollo–Soyuz space handshake, and even grain trade.

Quizizz: The Cold War

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:20:24 UTC

Quizizz is a student friendly website that offers a quick and easy way to assess student understanding after viewing each of these resources. The quiz hits on the high points of the curation and assesses students high level understandings of the Cold War.

PBS: History in a Nutshell - The Space Race

jtciarletta — 2025-06-09 01:41:23 UTC

This PBS “History in a Nutshell” video gives a friendly, fast-paced tour of the Space Race; America and the USSR’s Cold War showdown beyond Earth. The video also touches on how this tech race was about more than science—it was a strategic contest tied to missiles, spy tech, treaties, and national pride.