Then and Now: Global History and Culture
"Then and Now" connects events from the past with today's news headlines. Current episodes are history topics from my global culture and history course. In 2006, the podcast started with students in my introductory global history and culture course at the Univ of Minn. Previous episodes reviewed history topics, special music episodes connecting a country's culture with its music, interviews with voices of students and community members as they were part of historical events, and other topics. Episodes featured independent music artists. Share comments about the podcast with David Arendale, [email protected]
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(Bonus) Post-Cold War Era - Wikipedia
03/14/2024
(Bonus) Post-Cold War Era - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The post–Cold War era is a period of history that follows the end of the , which represents history after the in December 1991. This period saw many former become nations, as well as the introduction of in . This period also marked the becoming the world's sole . Relatively to the Cold War, the period is characterized by stabilization and disarmament. Both the United States and Russia significantly . The former became democratic and was integrated into world economy. Most of former Soviet satellites and three former Baltic Republics were integrated into the and . In the first two decades of the period, NATO underwent three series of and France .
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(Bonus) The Strategic Defense Initiative - Wikipedia
03/14/2024
(Bonus) The Strategic Defense Initiative - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), nicknamed the " program", was a proposed system intended to protect the United States from attack by ( and ). The concept was announced on March 23, 1983, by President , a vocal critic of the doctrine of (MAD), which he described as a "". Reagan called upon American scientists and engineers to develop a system that would render obsolete. Elements of the program reemerged in 2019 with the (SDA). The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) was set up in 1984 within the to oversee development. A wide array of advanced weapon concepts, including lasers, , and ground and space-based missile systems were studied, along with various sensor, , and systems that would be needed to control a system consisting of hundreds of combat centers and satellites spanning the entire globe and involved in a very short battle. The United States held a significant advantage in the field of comprehensive advanced missile defense systems through decades of extensive research and testing; a number of these concepts and obtained technologies and insights were transferred to subsequent programs The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), nicknamed the " program", was a proposed system intended to protect the United States from attack by ( and ). The concept was announced on March 23, 1983, by President , a vocal critic of the doctrine of (MAD), which he described as a "". Reagan called upon American scientists and engineers to develop a system that would render obsolete. Elements of the program reemerged in 2019 with the (SDA). The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) was set up in 1984 within the to oversee development. A wide array of advanced weapon concepts, including lasers, , and ground and space-based missile systems were studied, along with various sensor, , and systems that would be needed to control a system consisting of hundreds of combat centers and satellites spanning the entire globe and involved in a very short battle. The United States held a significant advantage in the field of comprehensive advanced missile defense systems through decades of extensive research and testing; a number of these concepts and obtained technologies and insights were transferred to subsequent programs
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(Bonus) The Day After movie - Wikipedia
03/14/2024
(Bonus) The Day After movie - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Day After is an American that first aired on November 20, 1983 on the television network. The film postulates a fictional war between the and the over that rapidly escalates into a full-scale between the and the . The action itself focuses on the residents of ; ; and several family farms near American . The cast includes , , , , and . The film was written by , produced by Robert Papazian, and directed by . The film was broadcast on in 1987, during the negotiations on . The producers demanded the translation conform to the original script and the broadcast not be interrupted by commentary. More than 100 million people, in nearly 39 million households, watched the film during its initial broadcast. With a 46 rating and a 62% of the viewing audience during the initial broadcast, the film was the seventh-highest-rated non-sports show until then, and in 2009 it set a record as the highest-rated television film in US history.
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The Cold War: End of the Conflict, 6 of 6
03/14/2024
The Cold War: End of the Conflict, 6 of 6
S16-E01 Topics: Strategic Defense Initiative, The Day After movie, Eastern Europe Collapse, Post Cold War Era. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) The Balfour Declaration - Wikipedia
03/07/2024
(Bonus) The Balfour Declaration - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the in 1917 during the announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in , then an region with a small minority population. The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the United Kingdom's to , a leader of the , for transmission to the . The text of the declaration was published in the press on 9 November 1917. Immediately following their declaration of war on the in November 1914, the began to consider the future of Palestine; within two months by a Zionist Cabinet member, , proposing the support of Zionist ambitions in order to enlist the support of Jews in the wider war. was established in April 1915 by to determine their policy towards the Ottoman Empire including Palestine. Asquith, who had favoured post-war reform of the Ottoman Empire, resigned in December 1916; his replacement favoured partition of the Empire. The first negotiations between the British and the took place at a conference on 7 February 1917 that included and the Zionist leadership. Subsequent discussions led to Balfour's request, on 19 June, that Rothschild and submit a draft of a public declaration. Further drafts were discussed by the British Cabinet during September and October, with input from Zionist and Jews but with no representation from the local population in Palestine.
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(Bonus) The Domino Theory - Wikipedia
03/07/2024
(Bonus) The Domino Theory - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The domino theory is a theory which posits that increases or decreases in in one country tend to spread to neighboring countries in a . It was prominent in the from the 1950s to the 1980s in the context of the , suggesting that if one country in a region came under the influence of , then the surrounding countries would follow. It was used by successive United States administrations during the as justification for around the world. Former described the theory during a news conference on April 7, 1954, when referring to communism in as follows: Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences. Moreover, Eisenhower’s deep belief in the domino theory in Asia heightened the “perceived costs for the United States of pursuing " because of multifaceted events including the “, the June 1950 , , and the conflict in Indochina constituted a broad-based challenge not only for one or two countries, but for the entire Asian continent and Pacific." This connotes a strong magnetic force to give in to communist control, and aligns with the comment by General that “victory is a strong magnet in the East."
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(Bonus) The Korean Conflict - Wikipedia
03/07/2024
(Bonus) The Korean Conflict - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Korean conflict is an based on the division of between (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and (Republic of Korea), both of which claim to be the sole of all of Korea. During the , North Korea was backed by the , , and , while South Korea was backed by the , , and . The by the United States and the Soviet Union occurred in 1945 after the defeat of Japan ended , and both superpowers created separate governments in 1948. Tensions erupted into the , which lasted from 1950 to 1953. When the war ended, both countries were devastated, but the division remained. North and South Korea continued a military standoff, with periodic clashes. The conflict survived the end of the and is still ongoing. The U.S. maintains a military presence in the South to assist South Korea in accordance with the . In 1997, U.S. President described the division of Korea as the "Cold War's last divide". In 2002, U.S. President described North Korea as a member of an "". Facing increasing isolation, North Korea developed .
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The Cold War: Global Conflict, 5 of 6
03/07/2024
The Cold War: Global Conflict, 5 of 6
S16-E05 Topics: Korean Conflict, Domino Theory of Communist Conquest, Cuban Missile Crisis, Israel Established, Arab-Israel Wars. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) The Truman Doctrine - Wikipedia
03/05/2024
(Bonus) The Truman Doctrine - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Truman Doctrine is an that pledges American "support for against threats." The doctrine originated with the primary goal of countering the growth of the during the . It was announced to by President on March 12, 1947, and further developed on July 4, 1948, when he pledged to oppose the and . More generally, the Truman Doctrine implied American support for other nations threatened by . It led to the formation of in 1949. Historians often use Truman's speech to Congress on March 12, 1947 to date the start of the Cold War. Truman told Congress that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Truman contended that because regimes coerced free peoples, they automatically represented a threat to international peace and the . Truman argued that if Greece and Turkey did not receive the aid, they would inevitably fall out of the United States sphere of influence and into the with throughout the region. The Truman Doctrine was informally extended to become the basis of American Cold War policy throughout Europe and around the world. It shifted U.S. policy toward the from a wartime alliance to of Soviet expansion, as advocated by diplomat . It was distinguished from by implicitly tolerating the previous .
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(Bonus) The Marshall Plan - Wikipedia
03/05/2024
(Bonus) The Marshall Plan - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to . The transferred $13.3 billion (equivalent to $173 billion in 2023) in economic recovery programs to Western European economies after the end of . Replacing an earlier proposal for a , it operated for four years beginning on April 3, 1948, though in 1951, the Marshall Plan was largely replaced by the . The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-torn regions, remove , modernize , improve European prosperity and prevent the spread of . The Marshall Plan proposed the reduction of interstate barriers and the economic integration of the while also encouraging an increase in as well as the adoption of modern business procedures. The Marshall Plan aid was divided among the participant states roughly on a per capita basis. A larger amount was given to the major industrial powers, as the prevailing opinion was that their resuscitation was essential for the general European revival. Somewhat more aid per capita was also directed toward the , with less for those that had been part of the or . The largest recipient of Marshall Plan money was the (receiving about 26% of the total). The next highest contributions went to (18%) and (11%). Some eighteen European countries received Plan benefits. Although offered participation, the refused Plan benefits and also blocked benefits to countries, such as and . The United States provided similar aid programs in Asia, but they were not part of the Marshall Plan.
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(Bonus) The Iron Curtain - Wikipedia
03/05/2024
(Bonus) The Iron Curtain - Wikipedia
(Bonus) During the , the Iron Curtain is a political metaphor used to describe the political boundary dividing into two separate areas from the end of in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the (USSR) to block itself and its from open contact with , its allies and neutral states. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the Soviet Union, while on the west side were the countries that were members, or connected to or influenced by the United States; or nominally neutral. Separate international economic and military alliances were developed on each side of the Iron Curtain. It later became a term for the 7,000-kilometre-long (4,300 mi) physical barrier of fences, walls, minefields, and watchtowers that divided the "east" and "west". The was also part of this physical barrier. The nations to the east of the Iron Curtain were , , , , , , , and the USSR; however, , , and the have since ceased to exist. Countries that were , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . The events that demolished the Iron Curtain started with peaceful and continued into , , , and . Romania became the only in Europe to
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(Bonus) Berlin Blockade - Wikipedia
03/05/2024
(Bonus) Berlin Blockade - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the . During the , the blocked the ' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of under . The Soviets offered to drop the blockade if the Western Allies withdrew the newly introduced from . The Western Allies organised the Berlin Airlift (: Berliner Luftbrücke, "Berlin Air Bridge") from 26 June 1948 to 30 September 1949 to carry supplies to the people of West Berlin, a difficult feat given the size of the city and the population. and air forces flew over Berlin more than 250,000 times, dropping necessities such as fuel and food, with the original plan being to lift 3,475 tons of supplies daily. By the spring of 1949, that number was often met twofold, with the peak daily delivery totalling 12,941 . Among these was the work of the later concurrent Operation Little Vittles in which candy-dropping aircraft dubbed "" generated much goodwill among German children.
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The Cold War: U.S. Responses, 4 of 6
03/05/2024
The Cold War: U.S. Responses, 4 of 6
S16-E04 Topics: Marshall Plan for Western Europe, Truman Doctrine to protect democracies, Berlin Airlift to Avoid Russian Blockade. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) The Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) The Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a treaty signed in , , between the and seven other of in May 1955, during the . The term "Warsaw Pact" commonly refers to both the treaty itself and its resultant , the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO). The Warsaw Pact was the military and economic complement to the (Comecon), the regional economic organization for the Eastern Bloc states of Central and Eastern Europe. Dominated by the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight to the (NATO) and the . There was no direct military confrontation between the two organizations; instead, the conflict was fought on an ideological basis and through . Both NATO and the Warsaw Pact led to the expansion of military forces and their integration into the respective blocs. The Warsaw Pact's largest military engagement was the , its own member state, in August 1968 (with the participation of all pact nations except and ), which, in part, resulted in Albania withdrawing from the pact less than one month later. The pact began to unravel with the spread of the through the Eastern Bloc, beginning with the movement in Poland, its in June 1989 and the in August 1989.
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(Bonus) Origins of the Cold War - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) Origins of the Cold War - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The originated in the breakdown of relations between the two main victors in : and the , and their respective allies, the and the , in the years 1945–1949. The origins derive from diplomatic (and occasional military) confrontations stretching back decades, followed by the issue of political boundaries in Central Europe and non-democratic control of the East by the Soviet Army. In the 1940s came economic issues (especially the ) and then the first major military confrontation, with a threat of a hot war, in the Berlin Blockade of 1948–1949. By 1949, the lines were sharply drawn and the was largely in place in Europe. Outside Europe, the starting points vary, but the conflict centered on the US's development of an in Southeast Asia in the mid-1940s. Events preceding World War II and even the in 1917, underlay older tensions between the Soviet Union, European countries and the United States.
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(Bonus) The NATO Bloc - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) The NATO Bloc - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; : Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an of 31 – 29 European and two North American. Established in the , the organization implemented the , signed in , on 4 April 1949. NATO is a system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the , NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the . The alliance remained in place after the and the and has been involved in military operations in the , the , , and Africa. The organization's motto is ( for 'a mind unfettered in deliberation').
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(Bonus) The Eastern Bloc - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) The Eastern Bloc - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc, the Socialist Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was the coalition of of , , , and that were aligned with the and existed during the (1947–1991). These states followed the ideology of , in opposition to the . The Eastern Bloc was often called the "", whereas the term "" referred to the Western Bloc and "" referred to the that were mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America but notably also included former Soviet ally , which was located in Europe. In , the term Eastern Bloc generally referred to the USSR and Central and Eastern European countries in the (, , , , , , and ). In , the Eastern Bloc comprised , , , , , , and . In the , the countries aligned with the Soviet Union included from 1961 and for limited periods and .
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The Cold War: Arming of the East and West, 3 of 6
02/23/2024
The Cold War: Arming of the East and West, 3 of 6
S16-E03 Topics: Arming of the East and the West, formation of NATO pact, formation of the WARSAW pact. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) On the Beach movie - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) On the Beach movie - Wikipedia
(Bonus) On the Beach is a 1959 American drama film from starring , , , and . Produced and directed by , it is based on 's 1957 novel depicting the aftermath of a nuclear war. Unlike the novel, no one is assigned blame for starting the war, which attributes global annihilation to fear compounded by accident or misjudgment.
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(Bonus) Fail Safe movie - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) Fail Safe movie - Wikipedia
(Bonus) Fail Safe is a 1964 directed by , based on the by and . The film follows a crisis caused by a critical error that sends a group of U.S. bombers to destroy , and the ensuing attempts to stop the bomber group before it can deploy a . The film features performances by actors , , , , , , , and .
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(Bonus) Duck and Cover movie - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) Duck and Cover movie - Wikipedia
(Bonus) Duck and Cover is a 1952 American that is often mischaracterized as . It has similar themes to the more adult-oriented training films. It was widely distributed to United States schoolchildren in the 1950s, and teaches students what to do in the event of a nuclear explosion. The film was funded by the US and released in January 1952.[] At the time, the was engaged in and the US was in the midst of the .[] It was written by Raymond J. Mauer, directed by Anthony Rizzo of Archer Productions, narrated by actor , and made with help from schoolchildren from and , .[]
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(Bonus) Dr. Strangelove movie - Wikipedia
02/23/2024
(Bonus) Dr. Strangelove movie - Wikipedia
(Bonus) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (known simply and more commonly as Dr. Strangelove) is a 1964 directed, co-written, and produced by and starring in three roles, including the title character. The film, which satirizes the fears of a between the and the , also stars , , , , and , and is loosely based on the novel (1958) by , who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kubrick and . The story concerns an unhinged United States Air Force general who orders a pre-emptive nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. It separately follows the President of the United States, his advisors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Royal Air Force exchange officer as they attempt to prevent the crew of a B-52 (following orders from the general) from bombing the Soviet Union and starting a nuclear war.
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The Cold War: Hollywood Movies, 2 of 6
02/23/2024
The Cold War: Hollywood Movies, 2 of 6
S16-E02 Topics: Fail Safe movie, Dr. Strangelove movie, On the Beach movie, Duck and Cover movie. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) The Red Scare during the Cold War - Wikipedia
02/10/2024
(Bonus) The Red Scare during the Cold War - Wikipedia
(Bonus) This article provides an overview of the "Red Scare" during the 1950s and 1960s: the fear of worldwide Communism. The article is from Wikipedia.
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(Bonus) Sen. Joseph McCarthy - Wikipedia
02/10/2024
(Bonus) Sen. Joseph McCarthy - Wikipedia
(Bonus) This article from Wikipedia, the "McCarthy Era," which he led generated fear among the American people of Communist infiltration.
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(Bonus) The Cold War Overview: Wikipedia
02/10/2024
(Bonus) The Cold War Overview: Wikipedia
(Bonus) This article from Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of the Cold War period.
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(Bonus) Assigned Readings for the Cold War Unit
02/10/2024
(Bonus) Assigned Readings for the Cold War Unit
(Bonus) This is a list of the assigned readings that I provided for students to accompany the unit on the Cold War.
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(Bonus) PP Slides for Cold War Unit
02/10/2024
(Bonus) PP Slides for Cold War Unit
(Bonus) These are the PowerPoint slides used with the six-part unit on the Cold War.
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The Cold War: Beginning of the War, 1 of 6
02/10/2024
The Cold War: Beginning of the War, 1 of 6
S16-E01 Topics: Origins of the Cold War, the Red Panic in U.S. society, fear of atomic war, U.S. House Committee on Unamerican Activities, and Senator Joseph McCarthy. The following links allow you to subscribe: and , , , , , Gaana, , , , , Samsung Listen, , , , , and . Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more. Please post comments to the individual episodes, post to the iTunes podcast review and rating section, and email to me, [email protected] You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at
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(Bonus) Aftermath of WWII - Wikipedia
11/11/2022
(Bonus) Aftermath of WWII - Wikipedia
(Bonus) The aftermath of World War II was the beginning of a new era for all countries involved, defined by the decline of all European colonial empires and the simultaneous rise of two superpowers; the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US). Once Allies during World War II, the US and the USSR became competitors on the world stage and engaged in the Cold War, so called because it never resulted in overt, declared total war between the two powers but was instead characterized by espionage, political subversion and proxy wars. Western Europe and Asia were rebuilt through the American Marshall Plan, whereas Central and Eastern Europe fell under the Soviet sphere of influence and eventually behind an "Iron Curtain". Europe was divided into a US-led Western Bloc and a Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. Internationally, alliances with the two blocs gradually shifted, with some nations trying to stay out of the Cold War through the Non-Aligned Movement. The war also saw a nuclear arms race between the two superpowers; part of the reason that the Cold War never became a "hot" war was that the Soviet Union and the United States had nuclear deterrents against each other, leading to a mutually assured destruction standoff.
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