The Cold War

How did the Cold War change Europe? Essential Question How did the Cold War change Europe?

Тетрис The game Tetris was invented in 1985 by a Russian computer scientist name Alex Pajitnov. I Activate the students by playing tetris. Free tetris can be found on the internet. Then I compare how the game has you building walls only to have them destroyed, and compare this to the Iron Curtain’s collapse. Alex Pajitnov 1985

The Cold War During the time period after WWII, the Soviet Union developed their own nuclear weapons (atomic bombs) They also strengthened their military (militarism) The Iron Curtain led to even more tension between the two countries.

The Cold War Both the United States and Russia were Superpowers. Strong, wealthy countries with large populations and very strong militaries. The U.S. and the Soviet Union were the two most powerful countries in the world.

The Cold War There was a lot of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union Many feared this rivalry between Democracy and Communism would lead to a nuclear war. They called this tension a “Cold War” because neither side ever fired a shot However, the threat of nuclear war left many feeling nervous. The Cold War lasted for 45 years.

Collapse of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union remained a Communist Superpower until the 1980s. Even until the 1980s, tensions between the U.S. and The Soviet Union were high. In 1985, Russia got a new leader by the name of Mikhail Gorbachev.

Mikhail Gorbachev Gorbachev realized that Communism in Europe was failing and wanted to begin being peaceful with the U.S. He and U.S. President Ronald Reagan actually became friends and signed treaties.

Collapse of Berlin Wall Soon after Gorbachev took power, many Communist governments in Europe fell. These countries began adopting Democratic Governments. In 1989, East German government announced that people could freely travel between East and West Berlin Citizens immediately began tearing down the Berlin Wall

Collapse of Berlin Wall

Reunification of Germany Making something whole that has been split into pieces. In 1990, Germans voted to make the countries of East Germany and West Germany one country: Germany. Today, Germany is a free democracy with a great economy.

Collapse of the Soviet Union Soon after these countries became Democratic, the Soviet Union dissolved and was known as Russia once again. With the collapse of Communism, Europe is no longer split in two.