The topic is the power struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lasted for about fifty years and is known as the Cold War.
This conflict involved no direct fighting between the two superpowers, but there were many indirect confrontations around the world.
We can't cover everything that happened in those fifty years, but we'll focus on the most important events.
The Beginnings:
Before and after World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union prepared to dominate the world after Europe's great powers collapsed. By the end of World War II, it became clear that the U.S. and the Soviet Union were the two global superpowers.
The U.S.: Promoted a "capitalist system" based on the free market, where money determines the status of countries and individuals.
The Soviet Union: Supported a "communist-socialist system," based on the idea of equality and distributing resources among everyone, where the state owns everything.
Critical Events of the Cold War:
1947: Cominform: Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, established Cominform in Yugoslavia. Its goal was to coordinate between communist parties worldwide and support communist revolutions and coups.
1947: Truman Doctrine: U.S. President Harry Truman declared that America must help any country threatened by communism. The U.S. spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support its allies around the world.
1947: Marshall Plan: U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall launched a plan to rebuild Europe after the war. The goal was to prevent the spread of communism in Europe by improving economic conditions.
1947: Molotov Plan: The Soviet Union responded to the Marshall Plan with the Molotov Plan to support and develop communist countries economically, creating the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
1947: Berlin Blockade: Stalin imposed a blockade on West Berlin to prevent Western aid from entering. The U.S. and its allies responded with an airlift to deliver supplies, forcing Stalin to lift the blockade in 1949.
1949: NATO and Warsaw Pact: The U.S. and its allies formed NATO to counter the Soviet threat. The Soviet Union responded by forming the Warsaw Pact, which included the communist countries of Eastern Europe.
1949: Radio Free Europe and Communist Media: The Soviet Union excelled in the media war through communist press and literature. The U.S. responded with Radio Free Europe to broadcast its ideas to Soviet-controlled countries.
1949: Chinese Civil War: Chinese communists led by Mao Zedong took control after a civil war against the U.S.-supported government. China became a strong ally of the Soviet Union.
1950: Korean War: Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea, leading to U.S. and allied intervention. The war ended with the permanent division of Korea into North and South.
1953: Khrushchev and Eisenhower: After Stalin's death, Khrushchev took power in the Soviet Union, and Eisenhower became U.S. president. Both were obsessed with nuclear weapons, increasing tensions between the two nations.
1956: Hungarian Revolution: The Hungarian people revolted against the Soviet-backed government, but the Soviet Union brutally crushed the revolution.
1957: Space Race: The Soviet Union started the space race by launching the first satellite, "Sputnik." The U.S. responded by sending the first human to the moon in 1969.
1959: Cuban Revolution and Missile Crisis: Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba with Soviet support. The crisis peaked when the Soviets attempted to install nuclear missiles in Cuba, nearly triggering a nuclear war.
1961: Berlin Wall: The Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. The wall stood until it fell in 1989.
Third World Wars:
Vietnam War (1957-1973): A conflict between communist North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam. It ended with a communist victory and U.S. defeat.
Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1962-1966): A conflict between Soviet-backed Indonesia and U.S.-backed Malaysia. It ended with Indonesia's withdrawal.
October War (1973): A conflict between Egypt and Israel, backed by the Soviets and the U.S. respectively, ended with an Egyptian victory.
Ogaden War (1977): A conflict between U.S.-backed Somalia and Soviet-backed Ethiopia, ending in an Ethiopian victory.
Angolan Civil War (1974-2002): A conflict between Soviet-backed government forces and U.S.-backed opposition, ending in a government victory.
Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989): The Soviet Union intervened to support the Afghan government against U.S.-backed mujahideen, ending in a Soviet withdrawal and defeat.
The End:
By the late 1980s, money was becoming the dominant global force. The Soviet Union could no longer compete economically with the U.S. and its allies. Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to reform the Soviet Union through the "Perestroika" initiative, but it failed, leading to its collapse in 1991. Since then, the U.S. has remained the world's sole superpower.