Four Key Phases of Cold War and Key themes

Question 1

Phase 1

Answer 1

Origins of the Cold War (1945-1953)

Question 2

Phase 2

Answer 2

Development of the Cold War (1953-1968)

Question 3

Phase 3

Answer 3

The Emergence and Decline of Detente (1968-1979)

Question 4

Phase 4

Answer 4

Renewal and End of the Cold War (1980-1991)

Question 5

Key Themes

Answer 5

origins
superpower rivalry or ideological tension
influence of communism and capitalism
changing policies, strategies and responses to the cold war
impact of crises on superpower relations
the origins, nature and impact of detente
arms race and disarmament
reasons for the end of the cold war

Question 6

Overview of the Development of the Cold War to 1968

Answer 6

By 1953, the cold war was beginning to be influenced more by academics and scientists, not just military. Scientists recognised that nuclear technologies could be globally destructive. By 1953, Soviets were calling it a psychological war. Practices of ‘containment’ and ‘expansion’ gained traction and the Cold War moved from Europe and America to the Third World