The Cold War and the Remaking of Europe

1945–1960s

Despite widespread feelings of relief and joy when World War II at last came to a close, an uncertain path lay ahead for the world. With Europe in shambles, two new superpowers emerged from the rubble: the United States and the Soviet Union. Their rivalry, known as the cold war, would shape international affairs for decades to come. The first two documents highlight the ideological and political roots of U.S. and Soviet cold war policies. The bipolarization of world politics was not the only sign of Europe’s diminished international identity, as the third document shows. War-weary and bitter, colonial peoples from Asia to Africa successfully battled for independence from European rule. Campaigns for freedom also appeared on the horizon closer to home. As societal and governmental pressures reasserted traditional boundaries between men and women, the fourth document reveals that some women called for change, setting the stage for the women’s liberation movement during the 1960s. The fifth document exposes the ways in which popular culture tapped into the cold war climate, notably people’s anxiety regarding the omnipresent threat of nuclear annihilation.