1.1 USSR/USA: creating spheres of interest

1.1.1 Introduction

The Cold War was the period of conflict and competition between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union and their respective allies. From the end of the Second World War until the early 1990s world politics was dominated by the rivalry between these two Superpowers.

The Cold War spread outside Europe to every region of the world, and drew to a close in the late 1980s. Towards the end of the 1980s, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev held conferences with United States President Ronald Reagan. During these conferences Gorbachev introduced reform policies in the USSR - called perestroika (restructuring of the Soviet economy) and glasnost (policy of openness, and transparency).  After more than four decades, in December 1989, Gorbachev and President George H.W. Bush declared the Cold War officially over.

The Soviet Union gave up its power over Eastern Europe and the USSR was dissolved in 1991.

» You learnt about the formation of the USSR in Grade 11. Refresh your memory, click here to read more.

» The end of the Cold War and its consequences for South Africa are part of another section of your grade 12 curriculum, click here to read more.

 

Since the end of the Cold War, the world has been dominated by one Superpower – the United States of America. In the 1990s, the world entered a period called ‘globalisation’ – which in fact means ‘Americanisation’.

An extensive and excellent resource for detailed information on every aspect of the Cold War can be found on this external website.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

You will find it particularly useful for Research Essays and Enrichment Tasks that form part of your Continuous Assessment.

 

1.1.1: Intro