Origins and Early Years of the Cold War
( 25 Modules )

Module #1
Introduction to the Cold War
Overview of the course and background on the post-WWII world

Module #2
The Yalta Conference
Understanding the Allied powers agreements and disagreements

Module #3
The Potsdam Conference
Tensions rise as the Allies plan for post-war Europe

Module #4
The Emergence of the Soviet Union as a Superpower
Stalins vision for a Soviet-dominated Europe

Module #5
The United States Response to Soviet Expansion
Trumans doctrine and the containment policy

Module #6
The Role of Ideology in the Cold War
Capitalism vs. Communism:understanding the conflicting ideologies

Module #7
The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
The first major crisis of the Cold War

Module #8
The Formation of NATO
The Western response to Soviet expansion in Europe

Module #9
The Sovietization of Eastern Europe
The creation of Soviet satellite states

Module #10
The Marshall Plan and American Economic Aid
Rebuilding Western Europe and containing communism

Module #11
The Communist Victory in China
Maos rise to power and its implications for the Cold War

Module #12
The Korean War
The first hot war of the Cold War era

Module #13
The Early Years of the Cold War in Asia
The impact of the Korean War on Asian politics

Module #14
McCarthyism and the Red Scare
The domestic implications of the Cold War in the United States

Module #15
The Death of Stalin and the Thaw
The impact of Stalins death on Soviet foreign policy

Module #16
The Geneva Summit and the Spirit of Geneva
The first easing of tensions in the Cold War

Module #17
The Hungarian Revolution and Soviet Response
The Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising

Module #18
The Eisenhower Administration and the Cold War
Ikes foreign policy and the New Look strategy

Module #19
The U-2 Spy Plane Incident
The impact of espionage on Cold War relations

Module #20
The Berlin Wall and the Division of Europe
The physical and symbolic divide between East and West

Module #21
The Cuba Crisis and the Missile Gap
The closest the world came to nuclear war

Module #22
The Early Years of the Cold War in Africa
The impact of decolonization and the Cold War on African politics

Module #23
The Neutralist Movement and Non-Alignment
The emergence of the Third World and its role in the Cold War

Module #24
The Evolution of NATO and European Security
The development of NATO and its response to Soviet aggression

Module #25
Course Wrap-Up & Conclusion
Planning next steps in Origins and Early Years of the Cold War career

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