Cold War

The Cold War was a series of proxy wars fought between two different beliefs - capitalism and communism. United States and most of Eastern Europe were capatilist based societies. Communist countries like Russia, China, and Cuba were the enemies of capitalism. The Cold War started immediatley after World War II and lasted the late 1980's and early 1990's. The Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union imploded. With that, capitalism ultimately won out. Communism remains today in countries like North Korea and Cuba, but the threat is not nearly as scary as it was with the Soviet Union. The Cold War was an uncomfortable time for citzens on either side. Leaders like Stalin, Mao, and Castro made life uneasy for the presidents of the United States. New technology like the atom and hydrogen bomb, and President Reagan's plan for Star Wars made the tension even thicker. Wars in Korea and Vietnam also added to the pressure.