good research questions about the cold war

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

110 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

The Cold War, a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. This era shaped the modern world and influenced countless aspects of politics, economics, and society. If you're tasked with writing an essay about the Cold War, choosing a compelling topic is crucial. To help you brainstorm ideas and find inspiration, here are 110 Cold War essay topic ideas and examples.

• The origins of the Cold War: Analyzing the causes of the conflict.
• The Yalta Conference: Assessing its impact on the Cold War.
• The Truman Doctrine: Examining its role in shaping the Cold War.
• The Marshall Plan: Evaluating its impact on European recovery and the Cold War.
• The Berlin Airlift: Analyzing its significance in the context of the Cold War.
• The Korean War: Assessing its role as a proxy conflict during the Cold War.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: Evaluating its impact on U.S.-Soviet relations and the Cold War.
• The Space Race: Analyzing its influence on the Cold War and technological advancements.
• The arms race: Assessing the importance of nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
• The Iron Curtain: Examining its role in dividing Europe during the Cold War.
• The domino theory: Evaluating its influence on U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.
• The Suez Crisis: Analyzing its impact on the Cold War and decolonization.
• The Vietnam War: Assessing its role as a Cold War battleground.
• The Prague Spring: Evaluating its significance in the context of the Cold War.
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: Analyzing its impact on the Cold War.
• Détente: Assessing the policies and consequences of the period of eased tensions.
• The Helsinki Accords: Evaluating their role in the Cold War and human rights.
• The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Analyzing its influence on U.S.-Soviet relations.
• The fall of the Berlin Wall: Assessing its importance in ending the Cold War.
• Perestroika and Glasnost: Evaluating their impact on the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
• The collapse of the Soviet Union: Analyzing its effects on the post-Cold War world.
• Proxy wars during the Cold War: Analyzing conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The impact of the Cold War on the Third World: Assessing economic and political consequences.
• The role of propaganda during the Cold War: Analyzing its use by both sides.
• The cultural impact of the Cold War: Evaluating the influence on film, literature, and music.
• The role of espionage during the Cold War: Analyzing famous spies and intelligence agencies.
• The arms control talks: Assessing their effectiveness in reducing Cold War tensions.
• The role of non-aligned countries during the Cold War: Analyzing their significance.
• The impact of the Cold War on sports: Evaluating the use of athletic competitions for propaganda.
• The Cold War and the nuclear family: Analyzing the influence on societal norms.
• The Cold War and the Red Scare: Assessing the impact on civil liberties in the United States.
• The role of women during the Cold War: Analyzing their contributions and limitations.
• The impact of the Cold War on popular culture: Evaluating its portrayal in movies and TV shows.
• The Cold War and the arms trade: Assessing the influence on global weapons proliferation.
• The impact of the Cold War on the Middle East: Analyzing regional conflicts and alliances.
• The Cold War and the space exploration: Evaluating the role of technology and scientific advancements.
• The role of NATO during the Cold War: Assessing its importance in collective defense.
• The impact of the Cold War on East Asia: Analyzing the division of Korea and China's role.
• The Cold War and the European Union: Evaluating the influence on European integration.
• The impact of the Cold War on Latin America: Analyzing U.S. interventions and communist movements.
• The role of technology in the Cold War: Analyzing advancements in communication and surveillance.
• The Cold War and the United Nations: Assessing its role in maintaining global stability.
• The impact of the Cold War on the arms industry: Evaluating its economic consequences.
• The space race and its impact on scientific research: Analyzing technological advancements.
• The Cold War and nuclear accidents: Assessing the risks and consequences.
• The influence of Cold War propaganda on public opinion: Analyzing its effects.
• The Cold War and the media: Evaluating the role of journalism in shaping public perception.
• The impact of the Cold War on education: Analyzing curriculum changes and ideological influences.
• The Cold War and the military-industrial complex: Assessing its influence on the economy.
• The role of ideology in the Cold War: Analyzing the clash of capitalism and communism.
• The Cold War and the nuclear arms control treaties: Evaluating their effectiveness.
• The impact of the Cold War on human rights: Analyzing violations and international responses.
• The Cold War and the rise of terrorism: Assessing its connection to geopolitical rivalries.
• The role of intelligence agencies during the Cold War: Analyzing covert operations.
• The impact of the Cold War on the environment: Evaluating nuclear testing and pollution.

These are just a few examples of the many possible topics you can explore in a Cold War essay. Consider your interests, the requirements of your assignment, and the available resources to choose a topic that engages you and allows for in-depth research. Remember, a well-chosen topic is the first step towards crafting an exceptional essay on the Cold War.

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

• 🤫 Secrets of Powerful Essay on Cold War

🏆 Best Cold War Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

🥇 most interesting cold war topics to write about, 💡 simple & easy cold war essay titles, 🎓 good research topics about cold war, ❓ cold war essay questions, 🤫 secrets of powerful essay on the cold war.

The Cold War is a significant part of the world’s history. Its term refers to the period between 1950 and late 1980, known for a great tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Essays on the Cold War are important assignments because they allow students to research the topic in detail. As the war was a major event that has affected many countries, students should prepare well for writing their Cold War essays. Our goal is to help you in writing an outstanding paper.

Start with researching the topics for your essay and selecting the one that interests you the most. Here are some Cold War essay titles we can suggest:

• Does the Cold War affect people or nations today?
• The link between the Cold War and the Korean War
• Argumentative essay on which country started the war
• Capitalist and communist economies during the Cold War
• The impact of the Cold War on international relations
• The link between the Domino theory and the Cold War
• The Effect of the Cold War on the environment

Select one of our titles or check out the examples of the Cold War essay topics online. Now you are ready to work on your essay. Here are some secrets of writing a powerful paper on the Cold War:

• Research the selected issue and think of the Cold War essay prompts you will discuss. Develop an outline for your paper based on your future arguments. Remember that an outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Do not forget to add a title page, if necessary.
• A good Cold War essay introduction should include some background information about the issue, its causes, and effects. Present a thesis statement in the last sentence of this section. It can look like this:

The Cold War still affects the population of North Korea.

• Discuss all relevant data in the body paragraphs. Identify the Cold War leaders, its ideology, global powers, and propaganda. Remember that the reader should get a full perspective on the issue you are discussing.
• Discuss the events that had happened before the Cold War began. What caused its eruption? What were the interests of parties responsible for the Cold War?
• Reflect on the consequences of the Cold War and its effects on today’s world. It will help you to get the reader’s interest.
• You can also discuss what would have happened if the war did not erupt or ended differently.
• Support your claims with evidence and add in-text citations when you refer to information from outside sources. Hint: Use peer-reviewed articles or scholarly books as your main sources of information. Do not rely on personal blogs or websites like Wikipedia.
• Summarize your arguments in a concluding paragraph. Restate your thesis and present the findings of the paper. Remember to end your essay on a positive note.
• Although content is important, make sure that you use correct grammar and sentence structures too. Check the paper several times to make sure that you have made no crucial mistakes. Remember that spelling is important too. You can ask your peers to review the paper for you, if possible.

Remember that our free samples are there for you if you need some ideas for your paper!

• “The Cold War: A New History” by John Lewis Gaddis In Chapter 1 “Return of Fear”, Gaddis states that the Cold War was caused due to the competing and divergent ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War and the Balance of Power Theory The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Communist Block have led to a complete change in the balance of power in the international arena.
• The Film Industry During Cold War The end of world war two marked the start of the cold war between the Unites States of America and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War: Causes and Consequences United States, which sustained the minimal damage during the apocalyptic war, was elevated to the status of the savior of the new world in the west whilst mighty Soviet Union whose winters not only mercilessly […]
• The Cold War: US Foreign Policy The paper seeks to explore issues surrounding the US foreign policy in the course of the war, as well as the implications of the war on the United States’ society and culture.
• Oleg Penkovsky, a Double Agent of the Cold War The political race of the Soviet Union and the United States began after the end of the Second World War. In 1953, Penkovsky began working in GRU and was sent to work in Turkey as […]
• Post-Cold War Challenges At the time when strained relations between the US and the Soviet Union ended, the financial systems of several countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, were in the process of collapsing.
• International Relations: Atomic Bombs and Cold War The dropping of the nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the United States directly contributed to the initiation of the Cold War. The utilization of the bombs led the Soviet Union to see the […]
• Cold War: Summary, Causes, History, & Facts The plot of the Soviet Union to spread the issue of communism to all parts of the world stands out as the major cause of the Cold War.
• Cold War and a Bipolar World It has been emphasized that important milestones like winning of Second World War, and development of the Marshall Plan were possible due to considerable investments in the military power by the US during the cold […]
• How Did the Cold War Order of the Asia-Pacific Differ From That of Europe? The primary difference in the cold war order of the Asia-Pacific and that of Europe was instigated by the reason for security arrangements between the two regions.
• To What Extent Did the Cold War Shaped the US Relations With Latin America? The reasons are on one hand, the great fear to the Soviet Union catch up and expansion, on the other hand the fear of Cuba bring communism domino effect to the Latin America countries and […]
• Reasons for Soviets Losing the Cold War Following the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the second world war, the uncomfortable wartime alliance between Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union started to crumble.
• The Cold War: Reassessing the Cold War and the Far-Right The cold war was a rivalry between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their allies. Loss of lives in different states was a massive consequence of the cold war.
• The Unfinished Journey: The US During the Cold War The first statement at the beginning of the chapter is that the Vietnam War is a consequence of the Cold War.
• The Cold War Ideologies’ Impact on the American History The key powers involved in the cold war were the United States of America and the Soviet Union. As the Americans adopted capitalism while building the economy, the society was divided into two classes, the […]
• Cold War Impact on Germany The question of Germany’s destiny, its state structure, and postwar borders were on the agenda of the meetings of representatives of the leading countries – members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the years of the […]
• The Cold War: The US vs. the Soviets Polarization The relationship between the U.S.and the Soviets was shaped by an intricate interplay of economic, political, and ideological factors, which resulted in the change between vigilant collaboration and often vicious superpower competition.
• Causes of the Cold War’s End Reagan’s policies may have contributed to the fall of communism, but it is more likely that the internal changes in the Soviet Union and the countries it ruled contributed more to the end of the […]
• The Cold War as a Turning Point in History Thus, one of the main events that became the subject of public discussion and concern of the world community was the actions of the United States of America and Russia in relation to the Middle […]
• The Global Cold War Book by Westad In the book “The Global Cold War” by Westad, the author seeks to understand why the cold war took longer and also the reason it became global.
• Latin America Impacted by Global Cold War This paper aims to discuss the conceptual positioning of Latin America in the context of the Global Cold War as the heart of the Third World.
• The Events of 1968 in American History and the Cold War Therefore, 1968 was a year of the end of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the end of spying, Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, racial protest in the Olympics, and the start of space exploration.
• The Cold War and Engagement The key elements of U.S.diplomacy to China and the Middle East were aimed at keeping the United States out of the problems of world affairs and improving foreign relations.
• US Strategy From the Cold War to the Post-Global War on Terrorism Before the collapse of the United Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, the United State’s strategy during the Cold War era had been one of deterrence to the potential threats of the USSR and its allies […]
• The Cold War in Context: Geopolitics In such difficult times, as the Cold War and the spread of terrorism, the role of Christians is to pursue one of God’s main principles, which is hope.
• Significant Events of the Cold War The confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War resulted in international crises. The USSR made a scientific breakthrough in the field of space during the Cold War.
• The Significance of the Iron Curtain at World War II and the Cold War Churchill encouraged the US and the UK to unite and ensure that they ended the actions that the Soviet Union was exercising.
• Great Depression and Cold War: Making of Modern America This paper will explore the causes of the Great Depression, the measures implemented within the New Deal, Cold War tensions, and the changes to the American society by the civil rights movement.
• Countries That Suffered the Greatest as a Result of the Cold War After the Second World War, there was a long period of tension between the democracies of the Western World and the communists’ countries of Eastern Europe, which is called The Cold War.
• Cold War Exchange in the Bridges of Spies Film Since the film is based on actual events, it is logical that this work’s primary purpose is to reflect the historical scene. However, according to the authors, the film is fiction and not documentary work.
• The Cold War Impact on African States & Societies The Cold War became a global geopolitical, military, and economic confrontation between the two blocs of states, the centers of which were the United States and the USSR, from 1946 to the end of 1980.
• How Did Cold War and Post-Cold War U.S. Imperialism Affect African Societies? During the Cold War, both the socialist motives of the USSR and the imperialist nature of the United States affected African nations and their changing political states.
• Latin America and the Cold War In the conditions of the Cold War, namely in the middle of the 1940s-1970s, Latin America was the arena of the struggle for the spheres of influence of the US and the Soviet Union.
• Cold War: Personalities of Individuals and Their Nations Cold War was a period in world history where the tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union was at its peak. One of the key characters to improve the relationship between […]
• Post-Cold War Russia: Global, Strategic, and Diplomatic Importance The end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the considerable shift in global politics and economics, making reconsider a large number of issues in international relations and diplomacy.
• US Actions Abroad During the Cold War With the intensification of the Cold War in the 1950-s, the chase for dominance between the Communist countries and the US was manifested by the invasion of the empires into the domestic affairs of Vietnam […]
• The Cold War and the Events of September 11 The anxieties arising from the issue of European immigrants echo the sentiments of securitization and Islamophobia following the events of September 11.
• The Cold War: Gains and Losses The United States was one of the countries that took part in the Cold War; it also involved itself in Space Race. The formation of alliances among the nations involved in the Cold War contributed […]
• The Cold War and Motivations Behind It Evaluating the situation, it appears that the major motivation behind the actions of the major players in this conflict was the distribution of authority in the world which started after the capitulation of Germany.
• End of the Cold War and Geopolitical Environment In the current global political and economic setup, United States has played a critical role in the promotion of free trade, deterrence in the development of nuclear weapons and enhancement of international security.
• US Involvement in Southeast Asia and the Cold War Vietnam is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that experienced the United States involvement in its politics in the 1950s Some of the reasons that have been fronted as having led to the involvement […]
• A Zero-Sum Game or a Win-Win Situation: The Outcome of the Cold War As for the historical context, after the War the USA had rather a beneficial position which helped the country to revive quickly and set the economical and political domination: the Marshall Plan, which seemed to […]
• The United States of America: The Post Post-Cold War Scenarios In the field of economy, it is expected that by the year 2010, China will be the largest economy in the World.
• Cold War Space Race Analysis The objective of this paper is to critically analyze the historic events that escalated as a result of the space race between America and the Soviets during the Cold war.
• Aftereffect of the Cold War: “The Crisis” by Alan Greenspan In the paper titled ‘Crisis’, the author Alan Greenspan had made an earnest effort to figure out the new emerging economic factors which came to existence as an after effect of the “Cold War” leading […]
• Cold War in the US. May’s ”Homeward Bound” Book In my view, domestic containment was a result of the insecurities and ambitions that were the outcome of the war and that is exactly what May argues, that it started inside the homes, “potentially dangerous […]
• Cold War: Development of the Events Churchill accused the Soviet Union of the deployment of global expansion and the attack on the territory of “the free world”.
• Impact of the Vietnam War and Results of the Cold War It galvanized the enemy and opponents of the war in both Vietnam and America and led many to question the ethics of the campaigns.
• Post-Cold War Era and Covert Activity Post 9/11, a review of the entire intelligence structure of the US was undertaken and all 16 intelligence agencies were placed under the central coordination of the Director of National Intelligence.
• Herbert Norman and the Cold War The information that was given to the FBI accused Norman of being a communist, a possible spy for the Soviet and not keeping his oath of loyalty.
• A Post Cold War Era The era of the Post Cold War period was considered to be the time of rehabilitation. The principal mission of the American policymakers after the Cold War period was containment.
• Cold War History: McCarthyism and Nuclear Weapons Race The foreign and the domestic policy by the US was featured by the increased fear of communism, and all the efforts were aimed to struggle with the leftist views, regardless of the fact, that the […]
• Effects of Cold War in Economic Development The increasing demand for the arms by many militaries increased the supply of the weapons and this and subsequent income increase to the manufacturing industries and the need for more and advanced technology to create […]
• Cold War 1945-1968, and 1973-1993 in USA At the suggestion of England and France the main provisions of the Marshall Plan were discussed in 1947 at the Paris meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the United States, England and France. […]
• Cold War Between the United States and the Soviet Union The matters of the cold war have been regarded by historians from both sides of the ocean for the years, and everyone accuses the opposite side of starting the cold war.
• The Cold War’s Aftermath in Europe The collapse of the Soviet Union, which occurred after the end of the Cold War, led to profound political and economic changes in many countries.
• The Role of Ideology in the Cold War The Cold War was a significant period for the history of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern Bloc, as well as other countries.
• From World War to Cold War The end of World War significantly shifted the balance of power in Europe and globally, leaving a void that both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to fulfill.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization After the Cold War Thus, detailed analysis is necessary to determine which of the two approaches above is the most suitable to explain NATO enlargement after the end of the Cold War.
• China’s Rise and Cold War With the US Thus, it is necessary to apply the concepts of liberalism and constructivism to understand the real reasons and probable consequences of the rise of China for the world.
• Cold War and Its Global Impact The competition between the USSR and the USA, the dissolution of the former, and major armed conflicts in Korea and Vietnam are among the events that still impact the world.
• Civilization in XIX Century and Cold War Even though it might appear to be nonsense, the fact of the matter is that there is more truth in the words of this unknown man than we, people living in the twenty-first century, might […]
• End of the Cold War and Global Economy Regarding the authoritarian nature of the Soviet power, the following issues significantly affected its collapse: the persecution of the Church and dissidents, forced collectivism, the domination of single ideology, the prohibition of communication with other […]
• Cold War II: A Big Misunderstanding Nevertheless, the posture of Russia and the actions towards former Soviets have been still regarded in terms of the Cold War after the USSR has dissolved and the Cold War was Over.
• The End of the Cold War Analyzing Gorbachevs actions and his incentives in the economy of the USSR, it is possible to conclude that the primary aim of these actions was the destruction of the welfare of the country, the growth […]
• Why Did the Cold War Begin? The Cold War was the defining conflict after the end of World War Two. One of the defining aspects of the Cold War is the feeling paranoia experienced by all sides of the conflict.
• The Cold War: A New History The United States of America and the Soviet Union were the two most powerful nations involved in the war. Another factor that contributed to the end of the cold war was the economic deterioration of […]
• American Foreign Policy: Cold War Orthodoxy The realization of the American citizens that there was a distance between the thoughts of the policy makers and the realities on the battlefield led to an intensified opposition to the war.
• Cultural Diversity, Cold War Art and Technology For instance, the CIA was at the forefront of promoting American Abstract Expressionist art in the form of paintings. The media is one of the technological avenues used to achieve this.
• Firefighting History From Cold War Era to Present This essay aims to outline how the social and political events had impacted the lives of firefighters in the times of Cold War and the Civil Rights movement, as well as to explore the current […]
• The United States in the Cold War Era and Korea The following paper will explain and cover the USA’s role in the Cold War era in Korea, and other significant shifts of this period.
• Cold War Korea in “Joint Security Area” Movie Both people and soldiers were taught that the other side is the enemy without a clear understanding of the true nature of the ideological conflict.”The ideological training they had received to hate and to kill […]
• Cold War Discussion: Six Facts The continuously developing conflict between the USSR and the USA became one of the most important aspects of the 20th century.
• America During the Cold War One of such pages was the Cold War – the period of geopolitical tension that started after the World War II between the US and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War: Did Intelligence Make Any Difference? It is through such complexities that the article answers the pertinent questions on the role of the intelligence on the Cold War.
• Canada Role in the Cold War In the article from the Globe and Mail, the main argument is that Canada, as an ally of the United States and the United Nations was inclined to support military activity in Korea during the […]
• R. Mugabe’s Diplomacy in Zimbabwe During Cold War The role of the Soviet during the period was the main factor why the president chose to announce and use the doctrine while he was in office.
• Cold War and End of Empires in the 20th Century The Cold War was the political and military tension that existed primarily between the USA and its allies, on the one hand, and the USSR on the other, even despite the fact that these forces […]
• The Cold War Impact on Social Conditions One of the consequences of the Cold War for the lives of USSR civilians was the discord in the Soviet society.
• Cold War Origins in American and Russian Views The studies of the Cold War era are experiencing rejuvenation in the latest decade, mainly thanks to the availability of the previously classified documents. The book Debating the Origins of the Cold War: American and […]
• Cold War in Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” Movie The period of history known as the Cold War was characterized by an increasing tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, two of the world’s greatest superpowers.
• The Cuban Crisis as the Challenge of the Cold War The agreement that the United States made with the Soviet Union was that the government of the United States had to dismantle its nuclear stations in Italy and Turkey.
• Post Cold War Period: Instability in Europe This paper looks at the end of the Cold War and emergence of peace in Europe, the internal consistency that brought about the cold war and that which has prevailed in the post Cold War […]
• “Berlin Airlift” – Cold War History The pathetic living conditions of the people provoked feelings of hatred towards the four forces that were contesting for the ownership of the city.
• Richard Nixon’s Diplomacy During the Cold War The term ‘Cold War’ refers to the persistent state of military and political anxiety that was experienced by countries in the Eastern Bloc, including Russia and Warsaw pact allies; and the Western Bloc countries such […]
• Hard or Soft Power in the Cold War’s End One of the biggest motivations that triggered the involvement of the United States in the cold war was the need to stop the Soviet Union spreading their communist ideologies into other parts of the world.
• The Soviet Space Program Role in the Cold War The paper will begin by providing an overview of the Cold War in order to highlight the conditions that led to the space race between the US and the USSR.
• The Rapid Ending of the Cold War Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union that had been going on ever since the end of the Second World War lasted for decades and involved all of the spheres of the […]
• The Cold War: Causes of Tension and Role of Media The Cold War involved the United States and the Soviet Union due to their different ideologies on ways of managing the economy of a country. The beginning of the Cold War was marked by the […]
• The Current Tendencies of the Cold War Stone estimates the principles of McCarthyism, which identifies the era of the Cold War regime and stems from the conspiracy games of the American senator Joe McCarthy.
• Cold War’s Impact on the Southeast Asia According to a number of studies, the increasing interests and involvement of the western world and the USSR in the region inspired the rise of the Militarism in Vietnam during the War.
• Cold War Major Aspects and Events Conflicts of interest between the United States and the Soviet Union were the main cause for the cold war which replaced the Second World War in the year 1945.
• Muslims Increase and the Spread of Islam Also, the paper will highlight the reasons that have hampered the spread of Islam in the US and in the modern world.
• John Lewis Gaddis: “The Cold War: A New History” For the Soviet Union, the war was a significant devastation and the amount of people and cities lost was enormous. 2 It is obvious that the governments of the two powerful world nations had their […]
• How U.S. Relations Have Impacted and Affected Pakistani-Indian Relations Post Cold War S Pakistan relationship is however strained in that Pakistan has lost its trust for the U.S.it blames the U.S.for the violence that has escalated in the country in the recent past.
• Cold War Paranoia in “Captain America” and “Batman” This form of unexpected events underscores the uncertainty that surrounded the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
• Was the American Use of the Atomic Bomb Against Japan in 1945 the Final Act of WW2 or the Signal That the Cold War Was About to Begin Therefore, to evaluate the reasons that guided the American government in their successful attempt at mass genocide of the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, one must consider not only the political implications behind the actions […]
• The US Influence on the Middle East in the Post-Cold War Era The aim of the essay is to evaluate the impact of the shift from bipolar to the unipolar international system on the Middle East.
• Cold War Consequences for European Countries After the war, the nations faced humongous economic slump, the pecuniary implications of the war took toll on the European Nations.
• The Role of the Cold War in Shaping Transatlantic Relations in the Period 1945 to 1970 It was considered to give a connotation to the international structure throughout the cold war and could work as a dynamic aspect in generating the dynamics of the east-west conflict.
• Japan’s Role Since the End of the Cold War Having assumed a relatively ‘peaceful’ stand, Japan was able to recover from the impacts of WWII to become one of the most powerful countries in the world at the end of the Cold War in […]
• Misperceptions and the Cold War After the WW II, the America rose to become the most powerful nation in the world, however, the USSR perceived this negatively, which resulted into fierce rivalry between the two nations and the war hang […]
• The Onset of the Cold War The majority of historians adhere to the idea that the period of ideological tension dates back to the period after the World War II whereas other scholars agree that its beginning refers to the end […]
• Nature of State Sovereignty in the Post-Cold War Era To begin with, a discussion will be carried out on the impact of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 and how it played a significant role of reshaping the state of sovereignty especially after the […]
• Cold War Politics, Culture and Wars The Western democracies led by the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a discussion regarding the development of the war and the nature of the post-war settlement.
• Liberal Optimism for Post Cold-War Period Essentially, the liberals believed that the damage caused to the allies in the Cold War would clarify the stance of the liberals.
• The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Among the situations that called for America’s diplomacy during the Cold War include the deliberate efforts to improve relations with the Soviet Union and ease the hostilities between the U.S.and the Soviet Union.
• International Relations During the Cold War In the face of being associates opposed to the Axis powers, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics differed in relation to opinionated philosophy and the arrangement of the post-conflict world at […]
• Rethinking Cold War History Near the end of the World War II, upon the surrender of the Nazi, there emerged strong alliances among nations that had participated in the world war.
• The Cold War and Its Influence on the American Society After the collapse of the Nazi government, in the year 1945, the US and the Soviet Union became the world superpowers.
• Origins of the Cold War The Cold War was the repercussion of World War II following the emergence of two key supremacy blocs in Europe one of which was subjugated by ideologies of the democracy of the capitalist America.
• Cold War Era and Threats to American Families Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by an atomic bomb marked the end of World War II and the beginning of the cold war.
• Holocaust and the Cold War Cold war refers to the military and political tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union immediately after the World War 2.
• The Cold War Between the United States and the Soviet Union Klaus and Lane state that this war came to be known as the cold war because the two sides: the Soviet Union and the United States never engaged in a physical fight. In conclusion, the […]
• The Causes of Korea War and How It Epitomized Cold War The Korean War was fought in Korean Peninsula between armies from North and those from South Korea. The only and main cause of the Korean War was the invasion of South Korea by North Korea […]
• The Major Causes of the Cold War Between the Soviet Union and the United States According to Leffler in his book “The Specter of Communism” the cold war was a political and economical war between the United States and the Soviet Union, which started few years after the end of […]
• Reasons of the Cold War Between the Soviet Union and the US Furthermore, before the war, the US described the USSR as a reincarnation of the devil but the feeling was mutual; the USSR did not see the US any different from the devil.
• Modern American History From the Second World War to the Cold War From Ford’s, Jew hatred and political racism-Hitler was especially, personal had a high regard for the anti-Semitism of Henry Ford-; to the Carnegie’s involvement in creation of a Master Race; the relationship between Rockefeller and […]
• Physical Fitness and Sport Policy in the Cold War Johnson presidential administration shifted the priorities in the sports national policy and vision of sports rivalry in the United States.”Addressing the subject in terms of federal initiatives during the 1960s, this article will argue that […]
• To What Extent Did the Cold War Play a Role in the 1950s in Catalyzing the Iranian Revolution in 1979? S wanted the world to practice free trade while the Soviet union wanted nothing to do with international trade, the power rivalry where each of the nations wanted to dominate the other, another cause of […]
• United States and Soviet Union Relationship Throughout the Cold War Soon after the end of the Second World War, the signs of tensions and mistrust reappeared even though the two nations had been allies during the war and the US had even supplied Russia with […]
• The Cold War’s Developments in the Relations Between the US and the Soviet Union The cold war was fueled by mistrust between the USSR and the U.S. At the end of the World War II, USSR was the only power centre that nearly equaled the U.S.
• The Cold War and the Fifties Studies point out that in 1945, the west, under President Truman strongly reacted to the policies set by Stalin in Poland by stopping all its support to the Soviet Union and expressing massive misgivings about […]
• Coverage of the Cold War in Life Magazine: The Bomb That Never Exploded The attitude to the atomic bomb and its role in the Cold War sufficiently changed with the course of time, and this change is reflected, in particular, in the coverage of Cold War events by […]
• The Cold War: Global Prosperity and Human Rights The Cold War was one of the most famous and crucially important conflicts between the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War Between the Union Soviet Socialist Republic and the United States of America The Americans believed in the principles of democracy and free enterprise while the Russians believed that the whole world must convert to a system of governance according to the teachings of Karl Marx and Lenin.
• Importance of Berlin in Cold War The main causes were; Economic: The United States was interested in supporting free trade in the whole World but The Soviet Union did not show any interest in this venture as it feared if it […]
• The Cold War and Its Influence on Europe Control of Europe was at the centre of the cold war because communists controlled Eastern Europe and wanted to extent their influence to Western Europe as well.
• How Did the Cold War Transform American Foreign Policy?
• What Are the Main Origins of the Cold War, and Why?
• What Role Did Sport Play During the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Begin and What Weapons Were Used to Fight This War?
• How Did Cold War Affect Popular Culture?
• What Factors Influenced the Origins of the Cold War?
• What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?
• Why Was the Cold War Called the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Shape the American Economy, Society, and Politics?
• How Did the Berlin Crisis Affect the Cold War?
• What Were the Main Reasons for the Beginning of the Cold War Between the USA and the Ussr?
• What Were the Key Elements of the Policy of Deterrence and Containment During the Cold War?
• How and Why Did the Cold War End?
• Why Did the Cold War in Europe and Asia Get More Serious?
• Did the Cold War Affect International Relations?
• Why Was Ronald Reagan Not Responsible for Ending the Cold War?
• Why Did the Cold War End, and What Roles Did Hard and Soft Power Play?
• Why Was the Cuban Missile Crisis a Turning Point in Cold War Relations?
• Why Did the Liberal World System Win the Cold War?
• Why Did the Detente Didn’t End the Cold War?
• What Impact Did World War II and the Cold War Have On the Development of Science in the 20th Century?
• Why Did the United States Get Involved in the War in Korea, and in What Sense Was It an Outgrowth of the Cold War?
• What Were Americans Fears During the Cold War?
• What Was the Domino Theory During the Cold War?
• What Was the Cold War, and How Did It Start?
• Did Ronald Reagan End the Cold War?
• Why Did the Cold War Never Become Hot?
• What Caused the Clash Between Communism and Capitalism During the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Domestic Policy and American Society?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 2). 159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/

"159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 2 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 2 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

• Revolutionary War Essay Ideas
• Civil War Titles
• Vietnam War Paper Topics
• Iraq War Research Ideas
• World War 1 Research Ideas
• Afghanistan War Essay Topics
• World War 2 Essay Topics
• American Revolution Topics
• US History Topics
• Arab Spring Research Topics
• Russian Revolution Paper Topics
• Cuban Revolution Ideas
• French Revolution Paper Topics
• European History Essay Titles

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Slovenščina
• Science & Tech
• Russian Kitchen

6 KEY questions about the Cold War

1. What was the Cold War?

From left: British prime minister Churchill, the American President Harry S. Truman, the Soviet head of state Joseph Stalin.

The Cold War is defined as a rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. The rivalry crystallized a few years after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Soon, it transformed into a full-fledged enmity that spilled over into ideological, economic, scientific, military and other spheres where the two superpowers tried to outperform one another.

It lasted for over 45 years and officially ended with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. 

2. Who started it?

Although debates are ongoing as to who bears primary responsibility for starting the Cold War, it is only fair to argue that both the U.S. and the USSR contributed to the escalating tensions.

Bearing the fruit of the hard-earned victory and seeking to eliminate the mere possibility of another devastating attack on the Soviet Union, the Kremlin sought to strengthen its position in Europe after WWII. Thus, Moscow installed left-wing governments in some of the East European countries that the Red Army had liberated from Nazi occupation. For ideological reasons underpinning the communist ideology, the Soviet Union also proclaimed the desire and intention to spread communism throughout the entire world.

On the other hand, the U.S. seized a unique opportunity to spread its influence over weakened Europe and thus emerge as a dominant force in world politics after a prolonged period of political isolation. Countering the Soviet aspirations to install communist governments in Europe was only natural for the U.S., which aspired to become a global superpower.

The Cold War intensified when Washington announced it was implementing a massive restoration plan for Europe - known as the Marshall Plan - as well as introducing the so-called Truman Doctrine, a policy that pledged support for democracies against authoritarian threats: this basically meant that the U.S. would contain Soviet expansion anywhere in the world. On top of that, NATO was soon formed.

3. Was it inevitable?

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

In a way, it was. We certainly don’t know how history would have played out, had the U.S. or the USSR acted any differently from what they did. However, in retrospect, there were so many factors that contributed to igniting the Cold War that it is safe to assume there was simply no way around this for either Moscow or Washington.

For one, Germany lost all of its influence in Europe, and left a power void that was quickly filled by the Soviet Union and the U.S., making the two countries natural rivals. Conflicting ideologies did not help to make the relations amicable either. Both countries acquired nuclear weapons at the beginning of the Cold War hostilities making them the leading powers in the world. All these factors combined almost certainly make the Cold War look inevitable in retrospect. Besides, we will never know for sure if it was ever possible to avert this grand geopolitical rivalry.

4. Why was it “cold”?

A P2V Neptune U.S. patrol plane flies over a Soviet freighter during the Cuban missile crisis in this 1962 photograph.

The global standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was known as “cold” because it never turned into an open war between the two superpowers. The term “Cold War” was coined in 1945 by George Orwell who foresaw a period of history characterized by the rivalry of states that were “at once unconquerable and in a permanent state of ‘cold war’ with its neighbors.”

His prediction came true with incredible accuracy: the U.S. and the USSR were unconquerable for they had massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons and were entrapped into a permanent conflict with one another at the same time.

5. How close did it come to turning into a real war?

Pretty close. In fact, the Cold War manifested itself in multiple proxy wars in which the U.S. and the USSR fought each other indirectly by supporting opposite sides in bloody conflicts sparked in different corners of the globe. 

The wars in Korea, Vietnam, Congo, Angola, Afghanistan, and other countries were by and large products of the Cold War. Many people died throughout these conflicts, including Soviet and American servicemen. However, they were never regarded as open military confrontations between the U.S. and the USSR. Instead, Moscow and Washington saw them as part of the efforts to spread their respective ideologies and undermine the position of their Cold War rival in various parts of the world, all at the cost of local populations, who endured enormous suffering, but also extracted some benefits from aligning with one of the two rival sides.

In some instances during the Cold War, the U.S. and the USSR came close to spiraling into a direct war with one another. For example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the world came quite close to WWIII. A technical mistake could have caused a nuclear war between the two countries in 1983, but the apocalypse was averted thanks to Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov, who decided not to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S. following a false alarm.

6. Who won?

Moscow in August 20, 1991. A coup d'état attempt in the USSR.

When the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991, the U.S. was the ”last man standing" in the Cold War standoff. 

However, historians disagree on whether the U.S. can be justly credited with “winning” the Cold War, because it is not clear what the primary reason for the USSR's collapse was.

One can make the argument that the U.S. depleted the Soviet resources through expensive proxy wars and an outrageously expensive nuclear arms race. However, some argue that the U.S. was merely a witness to the USSR’s collapse, as the communist superpower disintegrated due to a number of internal problems , such as the inefficiency of the planned economy, huge military spending, corruption, totalitarian rule of the communist party, and absence various freedoms including the freedom of speech.

Even if Washington considered the collapse of its rival an unequivocal victory, the post-Cold War era presented many new challenges for the U.S. leading some people to argue that the U.S. became a declining power in international politics after it lost its archenemy in the face of the USSR.

By the same token, one can make an argument that the collapse of the USSR marked the “end-point of mankind's ideological evolution.” Indeed, many people believed this in the early 1990s even though the unfolding post-Cold War era made many people doubt the validity of this argument.

Click here to find out how the USSR was formed.

Dear readers,

Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:

• Subscribe to our Telegram channel
• Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter
• Enable push notifications on our website
• Install a VPN service on your computer and/or phone to have access to our website, even if it is blocked in your country

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

to our newsletter!

Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox

• Seduction, espionage and humor: How the KGB recruited famous Soviet actors
• How was the USSR formed?
• Why was it so difficult for the CIA to spy in Moscow during the Cold War?

This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.

Cold War Studies Project

The Cold War Studies Project promotes archival research in former East-bloc countries and seeks to expand and enrich what is known about Cold War events and themes. More important, it encourages scholars and students to use their research on Cold War topics to illuminate current theoretical debates about international and domestic politics.

Until the 1990s, Western scholars had no access to postwar archival materials in the former Eastern bloc. During the Communist era, the only people who were allowed to consult secret postwar documents in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were trusted employees of the Communist Party or central government. The main responsibility of archival officials in these countries was to ensure that no items, no matter how inconsequential, fell into the hands of unauthorized researchers.

The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union drastically changed this situation. Immense opportunities for primary research on all aspects of the Cold War became available from the early 1990s on. Scholars have been able to pore over sensitive archival materials from as recently as 1991 and examine memoirs and other first-hand accounts by former officials who took part in high-level deliberations. Despite lingering obstacles in some of the former East-bloc archives (notably in Moscow), the vast amount of newly released documentation and first-hand accounts has enabled scholars to gain a much better understanding of events that once seemed inscrutable.  The Cold War Studies program at Harvard University was set up in the late 1990s to take advantage of these opportunities, building on the achievements of the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the National Security Archive in Washington, D.C.  Since the early 1990s, the CWIHP and the National Security Archive have done valuable work in obtaining declassified materials and encouraging scholars to pursue archival research.  Laudable as these accomplishments have been, the flood of new documentation from the former Communist bloc has overwhelmed even the best of efforts to cope with it. The Cold War Studies program at Harvard was established to contribute—and add a crucial new dimension—to the CWIHP's and the National Security Archive's activities by making use of the resources one finds at a large Ivy League university.      The Harvard program focuses primarily on scholarly endeavors, especially through its publication program, but it also seeks to draw policy-relevant lessons from the Cold War.  Despite severe crises during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union managed to avoid a direct military confrontation.  If scholars gain a better understanding of how this feat was accomplished, they should be able to provide recommendations about how to prevent and manage conflicts and cope with nuclear proliferation in the post-Cold War era. Harvard's Cold War Studies program promotes archival research in former East-bloc countries and seeks to expand and enrich what is known about Cold War events and themes.  More important, it encourages scholars and Ph.D. students to use their research on Cold War topics to illuminate current theoretical debates about international and domestic politics.  One of the chief means of accomplishing these goals is the sponsorship of scholarly publications, including the Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series and the peer-reviewed  Journal of Cold War Studies , both edited by Mark Kramer. An Editorial Board of distinguished scholars provides advice and assistance for the Journal and Book Series. In addition to the publications program, the Cold War Studies program has compiled a large data base of declassified documents now available in microfilm or photocopies, and a document repository and research area housing many thousands of photocopied documents from the former Soviet Union, East-Central Europe, and other parts of the world. All materials in these collections are available to researchers who come to the Cold War Studies offices at Harvard.

Publications and Activities

Journal of Cold War Studies

The Journal of Cold War Studies features peer-reviewed articles based on archival research in the former Communist world and in Western countries.

Cold War Studies Book Series

The Cold War Studies Book Series emphasizes the use of archival evidence to test and reexamine theoretical concepts that were derived from events during the Cold War.

Cold War Studies Seminar

Intended to shed new light on events from the Cold War era and encourage the use of archival evidence to test theories of domestic and international politics. 

Related Insights

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022) — Magnificent Achievements, Monumental Failures

Gorbachev’s brief but tumultuous tenure as leader of the Soviet Union brought about immense shifts in the course of world history, writes Mark Kramer.

Russia Is Repeating Its Brutal History in Ukraine

Rather than promoting a narrative of triumph and victory, comparisons of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to World War II reveal its inherent immorality, writes Mark Kramer.

The Derailment of Memorial’s Goals—for Now

Years of research undertaken by Memorial cannot simply be erased from the historical record, writes Mark Kramer.

Related Events

The USSR and Yugoslavia after 1945: Alliance, Confronation, Nonalignment, and European Security

This seminar will discuss relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR after the end of World War II.

Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang --- Cold War Allies, Cold War Enemies, and the Implications for Today

This seminar will discuss the changing relations between the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, and North Korea from 1949 through 1991 and the way these earlier relationships affect the close interactions between Russia, China, and North Korea today.

Top-Down and Horizontal Structures in Soviet-Bloc States: Policy Implementation in East Germany

This seminar will explore East Germany's policy implementation under the framework of both “horizontal” analysis ando top-down assessments.

• Utility Menu

The Journal of Cold War Studies

About the Journal of Cold War Studies

Please direct all editorial inquiries, comments, and electronic submissions to the JCWS email account: [email protected] .

For all subscription-related inquires for both the print and the electronic versions of the Journal, please see MIT Press for ordering information and rates.

Additional information can be found at the JCWS page on the MIT Press's website.

The Journal of Cold War Studies features peer-reviewed articles based on archival research in the former Communist world and in Western countries. Some articles offer reevaluations of important historical events or themes, emphasizing the changes of interpretation necessitated by declassified documents and new firsthand accounts. Other articles seek to bring new evidence to bear on current theoretical debates. Many existing theories of international and domestic politics have relied on generalizations from the Cold War period, but until very recently the evidence for these generalizations was tenuous at best. Articles in the Journal of Cold War Studies use declassified materials and new memoirs from the former Eastern bloc and Western countries to illuminate and raise questions about numerous theoretical concerns, including theories of decision-making, deterrence, bureaucratic politics, institutional formation, bargaining, diplomacy, foreign policy conduct, and international relations. Drawing on the latest evidence, articles in the Journal subject these theories, and others, to rigorous empirical analysis. The Journal's emphasis on the use of new evidence for theoretical purposes is in no way intended to exclude solid historical reassessments, but articles set within a theoretical context are particularly encouraged.The Journal's Editorial Board consists of 44 distinguished political scientists, historians, and specialists on international relations.

Discussion Forum   

Since 1999, the H-Diplo website, a site that links several thousand historians and political scientists, has been featuring regular discussions of JCWS articles.  In some cases, several commentators evaluate an article or group of articles in the JCWS; in other cases, a single commentator evaluates a JCWS article.  Hundreds of such discussions have appeared.  You can find an archived set of the discussions, by article,  here .

To Submit or Subscribe

Submission Guidelines for manuscripts and a Cold War Studies Style Guide are now available. Please follow the following link .  Find out how to subscribe to the Journal of Cold War Studies. Please visit MIT Press .

Description

In 1999 the Project began publishing the Journal of Cold War Studies, which has been praised by authoritative outlets such as Library Journal and Foreign Policy. The latter said in its Summer 1999 issue that "the Journal of Cold War Studies promises to be a leading forum for path-breaking archival research" and that "the journal fills an important void for historians and political scientists studying the Cold War."

• Submissions
• JCWS Style Guide

Selected Articles

Every issue of the Journal publishes one full access article that is open to public. To view these articles, please see the " Selected Articles " page. The   Journal   is edited by Mark Kramer, Harvard University, and published by The   MIT Press   for the Harvard Project on Cold War Studies.

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

Cold War History

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 26, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension marked by competition and confrontation between communist nations led by the Soviet Union and Western democracies including the United States. During World War II , the United States and the Soviets fought together as allies against Nazi Germany . However, U.S./Soviet relations were never truly friendly: Americans had long been wary of Soviet communism and Russian leader Joseph Stalin ’s tyrannical rule. The Soviets resented Americans’ refusal to give them a leading role in the international community, as well as America’s delayed entry into World War II, in which millions of Russians died.

These grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity that never developed into open warfare (thus the term “cold war”). Soviet expansionism into Eastern Europe fueled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as U.S. officials’ bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and strident approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere, no single party was entirely to blame for the Cold War; in fact, some historians believe it was inevitable.

Containment

By the time World War II ended, most American officials agreed that the best defense against the Soviet threat was a strategy called “containment.” In his famous “Long Telegram,” the diplomat George Kennan (1904-2005) explained the policy: The Soviet Union, he wrote, was “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus vivendi [agreement between parties that disagree].” As a result, America’s only choice was the “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.”

“It must be the policy of the United States,” he declared before Congress in 1947, “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation…by outside pressures.” This way of thinking would shape American foreign policy for the next four decades.

Did you know? The term 'cold war' first appeared in a 1945 essay by the English writer George Orwell called 'You and the Atomic Bomb.'

The Cold War: The Atomic Age

The containment strategy also provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States. In 1950, a National Security Council Report known as NSC–68 had echoed Truman’s recommendation that the country use military force to contain communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring. To that end, the report called for a four-fold increase in defense spending.

In particular, American officials encouraged the development of atomic weapons like the ones that had ended World War II. Thus began a deadly “ arms race .” In 1949, the Soviets tested an atom bomb of their own. In response, President Truman announced that the United States would build an even more destructive atomic weapon: the hydrogen bomb, or “superbomb.” Stalin followed suit.

As a result, the stakes of the Cold War were perilously high. The first H-bomb test, in the Eniwetok atoll in the Marshall Islands, showed just how fearsome the nuclear age could be. It created a 25-square-mile fireball that vaporized an island, blew a huge hole in the ocean floor and had the power to destroy half of Manhattan. Subsequent American and Soviet tests spewed radioactive waste into the atmosphere.

The ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation had a great impact on American domestic life as well. People built bomb shelters in their backyards. They practiced attack drills in schools and other public places. The 1950s and 1960s saw an epidemic of popular films that horrified moviegoers with depictions of nuclear devastation and mutant creatures. In these and other ways, the Cold War was a constant presence in Americans’ everyday lives.

HISTORY Vault: Nuclear Terror

Now more than ever, terrorist groups are obtaining nuclear weapons. With increasing cases of theft and re-sale at dozens of Russian sites, it's becoming more and more likely for terrorists to succeed.

The Cold War and the Space Race

Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition. On October 4, 1957, a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik (Russian for “traveling companion”), the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit. Sputnik’s launch came as a surprise, and not a pleasant one, to most Americans.

In the United States, space was seen as the next frontier, a logical extension of the grand American tradition of exploration, and it was crucial not to lose too much ground to the Soviets. In addition, this demonstration of the overwhelming power of the R-7 missile–seemingly capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into U.S. air space–made gathering intelligence about Soviet military activities particularly urgent.

In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I, designed by the U.S. Army under the direction of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, and what came to be known as the Space Race was underway. That same year, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a public order creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a federal agency dedicated to space exploration, as well as several programs seeking to exploit the military potential of space. Still, the Soviets were one step ahead, launching the first man into space in April 1961.

That May, after Alan Shepard become the first American man in space, President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) made the bold public claim that the U.S. would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. His prediction came true on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission , became the first man to set foot on the moon, effectively winning the Space Race for the Americans. 

U.S. astronauts came to be seen as the ultimate American heroes. Soviets, in turn, were pictured as the ultimate villains, with their massive, relentless efforts to surpass America and prove the power of the communist system.

The Cold War and the Red Scare

Meanwhile, beginning in 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC ) brought the Cold War home in another way. The committee began a series of hearings designed to show that communist subversion in the United States was alive and well.

In Hollywood , HUAC forced hundreds of people who worked in the movie industry to renounce left-wing political beliefs and testify against one another. More than 500 people lost their jobs. Many of these “blacklisted” writers, directors, actors and others were unable to work again for more than a decade. HUAC also accused State Department workers of engaging in subversive activities. Soon, other anticommunist politicians, most notably Senator Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957), expanded this probe to include anyone who worked in the federal government. 

Thousands of federal employees were investigated, fired and even prosecuted. As this anticommunist hysteria spread throughout the 1950s, liberal college professors lost their jobs, people were asked to testify against colleagues and “loyalty oaths” became commonplace.

The Cold War Abroad

The fight against subversion at home mirrored a growing concern with the Soviet threat abroad. In June 1950, the first military action of the Cold War began when the Soviet-backed North Korean People’s Army invaded its pro-Western neighbor to the south. Many American officials feared this was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world and deemed that nonintervention was not an option. Truman sent the American military into Korea, but the Korean War dragged to a stalemate and ended in 1953.

In 1955, the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) made West Germany a member of NATO and permitted it to remilitarize. The Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact , a mutual defense organization between the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria that set up a unified military command under Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union.

Other international disputes followed. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy faced a number of troubling situations in his own hemisphere. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban missile crisis the following year seemed to prove that the real communist threat now lay in the unstable, postcolonial “Third World.” 

Nowhere was this more apparent than in Vietnam , where the collapse of the French colonial regime had led to a struggle between the American-backed nationalist Ngo Dinh Diem in the south and the communist nationalist Ho Chi Minh in the north. Since the 1950s, the United States had been committed to the survival of an anticommunist government in the region, and by the early 1960s it seemed clear to American leaders that if they were to successfully “contain” communist expansionism there, they would have to intervene more actively on Diem’s behalf. However, what was intended to be a brief military action spiraled into a 10-year conflict .

The End of the Cold War and Effects

Almost as soon as he took office, President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) began to implement a new approach to international relations. Instead of viewing the world as a hostile, “bi-polar” place, he suggested, why not use diplomacy instead of military action to create more poles? To that end, he encouraged the United Nations to recognize the communist Chinese government and, after a trip there in 1972, began to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing.

At the same time, he adopted a policy of “détente”—”relaxation”—toward the Soviet Union. In 1972, he and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), which prohibited the manufacture of nuclear missiles by both sides and took a step toward reducing the decades-old threat of nuclear war.

Despite Nixon’s efforts, the Cold War heated up again under President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). Like many leaders of his generation, Reagan believed that the spread of communism anywhere threatened freedom everywhere. As a result, he worked to provide financial and military aid to anticommunist governments and insurgencies around the world. This policy, particularly as it was applied in the developing world in places like Grenada and El Salvador, was known as the Reagan Doctrine .

Even as Reagan fought communism in Central America, however, the Soviet Union was disintegrating. In response to severe economic problems and growing political ferment in the USSR, Premier Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) took office in 1985 and introduced two policies that redefined Russia’s relationship to the rest of the world: “glasnost,” or political openness, and “ perestroika ,” or economic reform. 

Soviet influence in Eastern Europe waned. In 1989, every other communist state in the region replaced its government with a noncommunist one. In November of that year, the Berlin Wall –the most visible symbol of the decades-long Cold War–was finally destroyed, just over two years after Reagan had challenged the Soviet premier in a speech at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” By 1991, the Soviet Union itself had fallen apart. The Cold War was over.

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research

Welcome to our comprehensive collection of Cold War topics! The Cold War was marked by geopolitical tension and ideological confrontations between the United States and the Soviet Union. When writing on Cold War essay topics, the possibilities are boundless. So, we’re excited to guide you through these Cold War topics to write about.

🏴󠁡󠁦󠁷󠁡󠁲󠁿 TOP 7 Cold War Topics

🏆 best cold war essay topics, 👨‍🏫 cold war topics for presentation, 👍 interesting cold war research topics, 💡 simple cold war title ideas, ❓ more cold war research & essay topics.

• The Cold War in Realism Theory
• The Role of Disney Propaganda During the Cold War
• Origin and Course of the Cold War
• “The Cold War: A New History” a Book by John Lewis Gaddis
• The Nature of the Cold War Between the US and the Soviet Union
• The Cold War: Causes and Impact on the Modern World
• Cold War in Realism and Neorealism Theories
• The Cold War: International Relations between 1945 and 1989 During the Cold War period, international relations were characterized by rivalry, tension, self interest and the competition for nuclear supremacy.
• The Cold War and Decolonisation History The Cold War did not cause decolonisation; however, the war schemes employed by the United States incited the decolonisation process.
• International System During the Cold War Era The basic characteristic of the international system during the Cold War era is its duo-polarity nature characterized by the ideological war of the two most powerful nations.
• Popular Culture and the Cold War Popular culture was strongly restricted. The Cold War had an immense influence on the lives of people since they were afraid to be considered communists.
• The Cold War History The facts surrounding the Cold War have forced many people to define it differently. This paper describes the responses provided by three interviewees.
• Canada During the Cold War Canada pursued a moderate anti-communist policy during the Cold War while aiding struggling countries and promoting peace in the world arena.
• History: The Communist Revolution in East Asia and the Cold War The collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War de-legitimized the system and removed the rationale that initially had underpinned the global economy fragmentation.
• The Korean War and the Cold War There are many similarities and differences between the Korean War and the Cold War in terms of Truman’s response, how they ended, and their lasting impact.
• African Continent and the Cold War In the 1950s, the interest of superpowers in Africa was mainly determined by obtaining information about the plans and intentions of rival countries.
• The Cold War in the 1950’s The main causes of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies during the 1940s to the 1990s.
• Was the Cold War Really a Cold War? The Cold War (1945-1991) was a period of political confrontations between two blocks, the Capitalist America and the communist USSR.
• “The Cold War: A New History”: Book Review The paper discusses the book “The Cold War: A New History”. It represents a sufficiently thorough coverage of the Cold War in its entirety.
• Cold War in Everyday Life of Americans The challenges of the Cold War historical period, which affected the everyday life of Americans, included the panic related to atomic weapons, and the methods for testing loyalty.
• The Cold War: Reasons and Lessons The lesson that nations should learn from the Cold War is that superpowers do not have any capability to control their allies and their dependents as is often thought.
• Pakistan-US Relations Post-Cold War Relations between Pakistan and the United States have been tumultuous since the 1950s, a trend that continued after the Cold War ended in 1991.
• The Cold War Era’s Impact on the US Politics The Cold War era included many reforms that occurred internally and externally in relation to the politics of the United States.
• Normative Role of the Cold War The Cold War played a significant role in American history in the recent past, yet the role of this war is normative rather than anomalous.
• Comparison of Current Relationships Between US and Russia to Cold War There are many similarities between the relationships the US and the USSR in the middle of the 20th century and the relationships between the US and Russia in the current period.
• The Cold War Times and Economics The Cold War had two effects on domestic policy: social and economic. The extensive indoctrination of the American people resulted in a reversal of social improvements.
• The Cold War: Contemporary European History Though the Cold War can be considered as one of the main participants has ceased to exist, the conflict has percolated into the present relationships of the U.S. and Russia.
• The Cold War: Cultural Changes Massive cultural changes marked the post-Cold war period. The fall of the Soviet Union led to new social relations that facilitated the changes.
• The Second World War and the Cold War Diplomatic relations among nations played a significant role that shaping the Second World War. The Cold War began immediately after the end of the Second World War.
• The Impact of the Cold War on European History The aim of this paper is to examine the Cold War’s impact on European through increased east-led and west-led tensions and the establishment of the Iron Curtain.
• How the Cold War Ended Peacefully One of the factors that propelled the cold war to end peacefully was the election of President Richard Nixon, who formulated new approaches to attending to international relations.
• America and the Middle East During the Cold War The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the outgrowths of which are still reflected today, ended in 1991.
• American Presidency During World War II and the Cold War World War II and the advent of the Cold War taught many lessons regarding the American presidency, especially on matters of foreign military policies and strategies.
• Canada and the Cold War in Relation to Korea The entry of the Canadian armed forces in the Korean War was a welcome move that helped protect the Republic of Korea.
• Cold War: History and Impact on Population This work aims to describe the causes and stages of the Cold War, as well as to assess its impact on the population through the use of qualitative research techniques.
• The Causes of the Cold War Between the US and the USSR The conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union and the ideological differences between the two countries served as causes for the beginning of the Cold War.
• The Significance of the Korean War to the Cold War The Korean War was the first major military confrontation of the Cold War, and it served as a model for many others.
• American History (1900s-Cold War Era) The history of the United States is a tale of people from diverse ethnicity who jointly form the United States of America.
• How the United States Fought the Cold War in 1945-1990 In 1948, a plan put forward by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall and known in history as the Marshall Plan came into effect in the United States.
• The Cold War’s Impact on the Fate of Nevada The Cold War is a military, economic and political confrontation between two military-political blocs led by the USSR and the United States.
• Triumphs and Technological Advancements of The Space Race.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Brink of Destruction.
• Nuclear Arms Race Long-Term Results in 2023.
• The Berlin Wall as a Symbol of Division and Reunification.
• McCarthyism: Unraveling American Society.
• Thawing Relations: Détente and Diplomacy.
• The significance of NATO establishment.
• Containment Policy: Limiting Soviet Expansion.
• Is the Korean War a Forgotten Conflict?
• Did Arms Control Treaties Help to Seek Stability?
• The Role of the Arts in Cultural Diplomacy.
• Proxy Wars: Battlegrounds of Ideology.
• Civil Defense: Duck and Cover Strategies.
• Space Race Achievements: Moon Landing and Beyond.
• CIA Interventions: Covert Operations.
• Espionage and Deception During the Cold War.
• The Sino-Soviet Split: A Communist Schism.
• The Vietnam War: A Cold War Quagmire.
• The Prague Spring and Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
• Nuclear Testing: Environmental and Human Impact.
• Red Scare in Hollywood: The Blacklist Era.
• Fallout Shelters: Preparing for Nuclear War.
• The Soviet-Afghan War: The Bear’s Quagmire.
• Economic Rivalries: Capitalism vs. Communism.
• The U-2 Spy Plane Incident: Crisis in the Skies.
• The Cold War’s History and Consequences The Cold War, a result of the development of nuclear weapons and the confrontation between two massive world powers, had many consequences that affected the entire world.
• The Security Concept in the Post-Cold War Era It is possible to admit the radical change in the security concept after the Cold War and the collapse of the global system characterized by two camps’ opposition.
• East-West Rivalry and Atomic Race of Cold War Cold War intensified after Russia and the United States got new leaders, namely Nikita Khrushchev and Dwight Eisenhower.
• The Cold War: The Arms Race and Territorial Claims This paper critically assesses the background of the Cold War and discusses the critical theaters of action, as well as the arms race and territorial claims.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis in the Cold War This paper will explain the details of the most significant Cold War confrontation between the USSR and the United States, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• The Influence of the U.S. Foreign Policy During the Late Cold War Historical understanding helps to make a more informed political analysis of the “War on Terror” today by explaining the roots of the perception of Muslims.
• The War in Donbass as the Legacy of the Cold War The War in Donbass is one of the most obvious legacies of the past confrontation as multiple processes affecting the region remain similar to previous ones.
• Cold War in Europe and the Lessons to Be Learned from It This paper discusses why the Cold War developed first in Europe, how it defined Europe’s development, and how European leaders responded to the key challenges.
• 1970s History. The Third World Perspective on the Cold War The history of the United States is quite complex and riddled with numerous events and moments that contributed to the growth of the nation.
• Analysis of the World War 1 and Cold War The First World War is among significant wars that have occurred in history because it led to the Cold War characterized by persistent strains and conflicts.
• Cold War, Truman’s Foreign Policy This paper discusses why was the United States unable to avoid entering a Cold War with the Soviet Union and evaluates Truman’s foreign policy.
• The Most Significant Cold War Events Although no real battles were fought, there was intense geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.
• Prerequisites of Cold War During Yalta Conference The decade following WWII turned out to be rather challenging for the whole world, and the exam on peace co-existence was almost failed several times resulting in the Cold War.
• The Reasons Behind the Cold War The Cold War was the result of the mutual aggressive aspirations of Western and Communist leaders. It can be briefly described as a rivalry for supremacy in the new post-war world.
• International Relationships During Cold War Cold War can be categorized as one of the most prominent occurrences in the international relationships of the 20th century.
• Cold War Gallery. Modern System Cold War Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force features airplanes representing the Cold War years.
• The Conflicts of the Cold War in Latin America The paper looks at how the United States supported any regime whether corrupt or unpopular, as long as it was fighting communism.
• The Cold War: Was It Really a War? During the Cold War, the whole world was influenced by the politics of the USA and the Soviet Union. These were the two nations willing to overpower each other.
• America’s Fear during the Cold War Despite great strides in progress the average American feared that one day Russian Nukes would come raining from the skies and end civilization.
• The Logic of Cold War: American Cold War Policies This essay explains how the Cold War ideology that crystallized after WWII changed wartime alliances and how American Cold War policies and practices influenced international relations
• McCarthy Era and The Cold War When the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union broke out fear of spread of communist ideas was also common for Canada which played an important role in the war.
• Cold War-Era’s Influence on the World The examination of the Cold War-era demonstrates how the rise of two superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – after WW2 led to a series of conflicts all over the world.
• History of Cold War and International Law During the Cold War, there were many reasons for both the US and USSR to be equally interested in preserving the integrity of international law.
• America’s Geopolitical Stance During the Cold War America’s positioning as a “great power” during the Cold War era and the country’s sub-sequential rise to the position of a “superpower” is reflective of the Realist outlook on IR.
• The Vietnam War and the Cold War The Vietnam War and the Cold War were escalated by the assumption that the communist movement would spread out to other Asian states in the south east region.
• Latin American Economies After the Cold War The economies of Latin American countries were developing at a high pace in the 1960s, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank.
• Voice of America during the Cold War The case of the Voice of America demonstrates the power of the public diplomacy. In order to establish a better environment for compelling transmission activity, the listeners have to acknowledge its impact on them.
• Communist Revolutions and Cold War in East Asia This analytical treatise attempts to explicitly review the historical significance of communist revolutions in East Asia, especially in China and North Korea.
• World War II, The Cold War and New Europe The WWII and its aftermath resulted in the development of another opposition of superstates. The former allies were not able to able to determine the spheres of their influence and make a compromise.
• Winston Churchill’s Speech and Cold War The Sinews of Peace known as The Iron Curtain is the speech of Winston Churchill to the United States and Great Britain that outlined the onset of the Cold War.
• Vietnam War History: A Cold War Triggered by Vietnam’s Decision of Resisting Colonial Powers Vietnam War was a cold war era military conflict which had started in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1st November 1954 to 30th April 1975.
• History of Cold War and War on Terror The strategies used in Cold War intended to reform, not to destroy other countries. The current strategies are to obliterate terrorism wherever they are and these are extensive objectives.
• The Cold War and Its Effects on American Policies This paper discusses how the Cold War that occurred after 1945 influenced U.S. governmental foreign and domestic policies.
• The Civil War and the Cold War The Civil War and the Cold War were two important stepping stones that have proved that people’s views very much depend on the time and place and a difference in opinions causes a major conflict.
• Cold War Politics: Shaped by the Global Economic Crises of the USA and USSR
• American Post-cold War Relations
• Cold War and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
• The United States’ Relationship to Israel During the Cold War
• Domestic Changes After Cold War
• Swiss Neutrality After the Cold War
• WWII and the Cold War: The World’s Haunting Past
• Cold War: Sanctions and Effects Diplomatic Relations
• America’s Superiority During the Cold War
• Overview How the United States Contained Communism During the Cold War
• Differences Between the Cold War System and Globalization
• Cold War Origins and Its Cultural Implications
• The American Strategy Throughout the Cold War and After
• Cold War and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
• The Cold War Was a Continuation of Colonialism
• Cold War and American Culture
• U.S. Foreign Policy During the Cold War
• Impact of the Cold War on the United States
• German Foreign Policy During the Cold War and the German Unification ESS
• American Presidents During the Cold War
• Global and National Developing Resulting From the Cold War
• The Impact of the Cold War on American Society and Entertainment
• Could the Cold War Have Been Avoided?
• Did America Win the Cold War?
• What Was the Argument in the Cold War?
• Who Was Responsible for Starting the Cold War?
• What Are the Major Arguments on the Causes of the Cold War?
• What Is the Cold War Concept?
• Why Was the US to Blame for the Cold War?
• What Caused the Cold War Between the US and Soviet Union?
• What Arguments Do Historians Make About Who Started the Cold War?
• Did Ronald Reagan End the Cold War?
• Was the Cold War an Ideological Conflict?
• Who Was the Aggressor in the Cold War?
• Which Statement Best Describes the United States Cold War Policy of Containment?
• What Is the Revisionist View of the Cold War?
• Which Two Ideologies Were Involved in a Conflict During the Cold War and Why?
• Has the Cold War Really Ended?
• What Was the Truman Doctrine in the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Asian American Experiences?
• Was Joseph Stalin Responsible for the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Domestic Policy and American Society?
• What Ideological Differences Caused the Cold War?
• What Was the Central Ideological Conflict of the Cold War?
• How Did the Truman Doctrine Increase Cold War Tensions?
• How Did the Cold War Shape the American Economy, Society, and Politics From 1945 to 1992?
• How Did the End of the Cold War Affect the Concept of Security?
• What Is Cold War in History Terms?
• Why Was It Called the Cold War?
• Was the Cold War Chiefly a Clash of National Interests, With Ideology Only Secondary?
• Was the Cold War Truly a Cold War?
• What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?

Cite this post

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2021, December 21). 151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/

"151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." StudyCorgi , 21 Dec. 2021, studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2021) '151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research'. 21 December.

1. StudyCorgi . "151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Cold War were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 22, 2024 .

• Skip to search box
• Skip to main content

Princeton University Library

Frs 130 - the cold war.

• Starting Points
• Finding out what other historians think
• Finding primary sources

The source-driven junior paper

Primary sources in the library, manuscript collections in princeton university library, other resources to locate primary sources.

• Footnotes made easy This link opens in a new window
• Getting help

Often, the best work arises from close engagement with a primary source. As you read, you'll think of questions or begin to shape an argument. The hard part is to find a primary source that addresses the broad general area of interest. Here are some strategies for finding primary sources:

• Check the footnotes, endnotes and bibliography of a good academic book on your topic.
• Search the library catalog for the topic you're researching.  Add the word "sources", "diaries," "correspondence," or "personal narratives" to find primary sources that are published as books
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window Coverage depends on the newspaper. American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger (1857-1922); American Israelite (1854-2000); Arizona Republican (1890-1922); Atlanta Constitution (1868-1984); Atlanta Daily World (1931-2010); Austin American Statesman (1871-1980); Baltimore Afro-American (1893-2010); Baltimore Sun (1837-1998); Barron's (1921-2010); Boston Globe (1872-1993); Calgary Herald (1883-2010), Call and Post (Cleveland) (1934-1991); Chicago Defender (1909-2010); Chicago Tribune (1849-2014); Christian Science Monitor (1908-2011); Cincinnati Enquirer (1841-1922);Cleveland Call & Post (1934-2010); Dayton Daily News (1898-1922); Detroit Free Press (1831-1999); Edmonton Journal (1903-2010), Globe & Mail (1844-2020); Guardian and the Observer (1791-2003); Hartford Courant (1764-1998); Hindustan Times (1924-2010); Indianapolis Star (1903-1922); Irish Times (1859-2022); Jerusalem Post (1932-2008); Jewish Advocate (1905-1990); Jewish Exponent (1887-1990); Korea Times (1956-2016); Le Monde (1944-December 30, 2000); Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan) (1883-2010), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005); Los Angeles Times (1881-2015); Louisville Courier Journal (1830-2000); Michigan Chronicle (1936-2010); Minneapolis Star Tribune (1867-2001); Montreal Gazette (1857-2010), Nashville Tennessean (1812-1922); New York Amsterdam News (1922-2010); New York Times (1851-2020); New York Tribune (1841-1962); Newsday (1940-1995); Norfolk Journal and Guide (1916-2003); Ottawa Citizen (1845-2010); Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-2001); Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001); Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002); Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1786-2003); Province (1898-2010); San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922); St. Louis Dispatch (1874-2003); St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay Times (1886-2009); Saskatoon Star Phoenix (1902-2009); Scotsman (1817-1950); South China Morning Post (1903-2001); Times-Colonist (Victoria) (1884-2010); Times of India (1838-2011); Toronto Star (1894-2021); Vancouver Sun (1912-2010), Wall Street Journal (1889-2011); Washington Post (1877-2007); Windsor Star (1883-2010). Also includes a Chinese Newspapers Collection (1832-1953) and a collection of American and British Communist papers (1917-2013).
• America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window Searchable full-text of historical newspapers including titles from all 50 states. Now includes select coverage of some major papers after 1922 through the mid 1990s.
• News, Policy and Politics Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window Consists of the backfile of 15 major magazines (including the Newsweek archive), spanning areas including current events, international relations, and public policy. Covers history, political science, law and economics. 1918-2015

• Documentary History of the Harry S. Truman Presidency
• Documentary History of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidency

• Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new window Indexes publications of the U.S. Congress such as hearings 1824+ (including previously unpublished hearings: Senate 1824-1992 and House 1833-1982), committee reports, documents and prints. Material is available in microfiche and/or electronic. Essential tool for doing legislative history research. Includes Congressional Research Reports from 1916+, Bills & Laws 1789+, U.S. Serial Set from 1789+, Annals of Congress from 1789-1824, Register of Debates from 1824-1837, Congressional Globe from 1833-1873, and Congressional Record from 1873+. Also includes Executive Branch Documents 1789-1948 and Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations 1789+.

• Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window Access to a wealth of significant primary documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945. Divided into various core collections; each contains a diverse range of policy documents including presidential directives, memos, diplomatic dispatches, meeting notes, independent reports, briefing papers, White House communications, email, confidential letters, and other secret material.
• National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Books This link opens in a new window Library and archive of declassifed United States documents received through the Freedom of Information Act.
• U.S. Declassified Documents Online This link opens in a new window Indexing and full-text access to a rich collection of declassified documents from various government agencies, including the White House, the CIA, the FBI, the State Department, and others covering events following Word War II. Some specialized collection is contained in Archives Unbound . 1914+ more... less... For items declassified prior to this index, see The Declassified Documents Reference System - Retrospective Collection (Firestone) Z1223.Z7D36.
• Weapons of Mass Destruction Documents from the United States military, Atomic Energy Commission, Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency, White House, and other agencies detailing the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons for use by American forces, from 1942-present.
• Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports This link opens in a new window Translation service of the U.S. Government, usually attributed to the Central Intelligence Agency. It covered political, military, economic, environmental and sociological news and commentary, as well as scientific and technical information. more... less... For later years see World News Connection.
• Confidential Print: North America, 1824-1961 This link opens in a new window Reproduces records relating to Canada, the Caribbean and the US from the British Foreign and Colonial Offices in the UK National Archives.
• Communist Historical Newspaper Collection (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Collection of Communist American and British papers: The Daily Worker (1936-1958); The Ohio Socialist (1917-1919); People's Daily World (1986-1990); People's Weekly World (1990-2013); Sunday Worker (1936-1958); The Toiler (1919-1922); The Worker (1922-1924); New York; and The Worker (1958-1968); London.
• Left of Liberalism: Marxist-Socialist Newspapers, 1900-2015
• Mary Ferrell Foundation This link opens in a new window Searchable archive of documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, the Watergate scandal, and post-Watergate investigations into abuses of the CIA and other intelligence agencies.
• U.S. and U.N. Government Documents For assistance with government and United Nations documents, contact David Hollander ([email protected])
• Archives Unbound This link opens in a new window Includes collections on "Cold War Voices" and files from presidential administrations from Johnson through Carter
• History Vault This link opens in a new window Includes State Department files from the 1960s and 1970s, and files from presidential administrations from Truman through Nixon
• Truman Presidential Library
• Eisenhower Presidential Library
• Kennedy Presidential Library
• Johnson Presidential Library
• Ford Presidential Library
• Carter Presidential Library
• Reagan Presidential Library
• Bush Presidential Library
• AM explorer This link opens in a new window Contains files from the UK Foreign Office
• Foreign Relations of the United States Official diplomatic correspondence
• History of the Cold War: Selected Resources at the Mudd Manuscript Library
• Princeton University Library Finding Aids This link opens in a new window Provides access to finding aids or descriptive inventories for archival records and manuscript collections held within the University Library. Approximately 1,300 finding aids from the Department of Special Collections are now available online and include the Manuscripts Division , Public Policy Papers , and University Archives .
• Archive Finder This link opens in a new window Contains the entire holdings in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). Current directory of thousands of repositories and over 220,000 collections of primary source materials across the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. 1959+
• ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window Index to finding aids and other descriptive information about the holdings of manuscript and archival collections in libraries and research institutions throughout the world.
• << Previous: Finding out what other historians think
• Next: Footnotes made easy >>
• Last Updated: Feb 14, 2024 12:53 PM
• URL: https://libguides.princeton.edu/FRS130

100 Cold War Essay Topics

The Cold War significantly influenced even nations that were geographically distant. When tasked with writing about this subject, it’s crucial to aim for quality that will garner an impressive grade. The foundation of a compelling essay lies in its topic. A well-chosen topic can enhance the quality of the essay, while a complex one can make it challenging to craft a coherent piece.

Table of Contents

How to Select the Best Cold War Essay Topic?

Many find it challenging to choose suitable essay topics, either due to inexperience or a lack of creativity. When selecting a topic in this domain, opt for one you feel passionate about. This ensures a smoother writing process and helps in organizing the content coherently.

Topic scope is another crucial factor. Avoid overly broad topics as they might be challenging to cover comprehensively in an essay. Conversely, exceedingly narrow topics can hinder content generation.

Comprehensive List of Cold War Essay Topics

• How the conflict influenced the Vietnam War
• Actions the United States took that made the Soviet Union feel threatened
• The repercussions of the Cold War on North Korean citizens
• Russian policies that alarmed the Americans
• The Cold War’s influence on the Korean War
• The interrelation between the Cold War and the Cuban Revolution
• In-depth insights into the Red Scare
• Strategies that might have prevented the Cold War
• Reasons the Cold War seemed inevitable
• The U.S.’s role in the Cold War
• Berlin’s transformation during the conflict
• Comparing the Cold War to World War II
• The role of communism in the Cold War
• A thorough analysis of events during the conflict
• The interplay of racism during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s importance in global history
• The impact of the Cold War on Latin America
• President Reagan’s contributions to ending the Cold War
• Post-Cold War reconstruction processes
• Key factors leading to the Cold War’s conclusion
• The influence of nuclear power during the Cold War
• Differing ideologies that sparked the Cold War
• Essential events during the Cold War
• African nations’ contributions during the Cold War
• Adverse effects of the Cold War

Appropriate Cold War Decolonization Essay Topics

• European nations’ perspectives on the Cold War
• Causes for the peaceful end to the Cold War
• Minority groups’ roles during the conflict
• The United Nations’ approach to Cold War events
• Shifts in terrorism strategies post-Cold War
• Stalin’s role in escalating the Cold War
• The impact of the Yalta Conference on the Cold War
• Implications of the Cold War for U.S. homeland security
• Political catalysts of the Cold War
• Public sentiments during the Cold War

Geopolitical Impacts

• The Cold War’s influence on the Middle East
• NATO and the Warsaw Pact: A Comparative Analysis
• The Sino-Soviet split and its global ramifications
• The Cold War’s effects on African decolonization
• The role of non-aligned nations during the Cold War

Cultural and Societal Impacts

• The Cold War and its influence on American pop culture
• Soviet propaganda during the Cold War
• The role of sports, especially the Olympics, in the Cold War
• The Cold War’s impact on global literature and film
• Music as a tool of resistance and propaganda during the Cold War

Technology and Espionage

• The Space Race: Competing ideologies beyond Earth
• The role of spies and espionage during the Cold War
• Technological advancements driven by Cold War competition
• The importance of cryptography during the Cold War
• U-2 spy plane incident and its implications

Key Events and Turning Points

• The Cuban Missile Crisis and its global repercussions
• The Berlin Airlift: Symbolism and significance
• Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and global reactions
• The Prague Spring and its suppression
• Detente: Causes and consequences

Nuclear Proliferation and Arms Race

• The Cold War and the birth of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
• The role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
• Nuclear brinkmanship: Cases and consequences
• The arms race: Growth and limitations of nuclear arsenals
• Nuclear disarmament talks and their successes

Economic Dimensions

• The Marshall Plan and its impact on Europe
• Economic struggles in the Soviet Union during the Cold War
• The role of economic sanctions during the Cold War
• Comparative analysis of capitalist and socialist economic models during the Cold War
• Economic espionage and industrial sabotage

End of the Cold War

• The role of Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms in ending the Cold War
• The significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall
• Economic challenges and the dissolution of the Soviet Union
• The impact of the Cold War’s end on global geopolitics
• The legacy of the Cold War in the 21st century

Cold War’s Legacy

• The Cold War’s lingering effects on global politics
• NATO’s role post-Cold War era
• The Cold War’s influence on contemporary military strategies
• The Cold War’s long-term effects on education systems worldwide
• Post-Cold War challenges in reconciliation and nation-building

Miscellaneous Topics

• The influence of the Cold War on global journalism
• The role of women spies during the Cold War
• Psychological warfare during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s impact on international travel and tourism
• The influence of the Cold War on the formation of the European Union

Diplomacy and Relations

• The role of summits and diplomatic meetings in easing Cold War tensions.
• The relationship between the Cold War and the founding of the United Nations.
• Analysis of U.S.-China relations during the Cold War after Nixon’s visit.

Influence on Developing Countries

• The Cold War’s impact on the non-aligned movement and its leaders.
• Soviet and American interventions in Latin America: A comparative study.
• Proxy wars in Africa: Superpowers’ indirect confrontations.

Media and Perception

• The portrayal of the “enemy” in school textbooks during the Cold War.
• Radio Free Europe vs. Voice of Russia: Battling radio waves.
• Hollywood and Soviet Cinema: How both sides portrayed the Cold War.

Scientific Endeavors and the Cold War

• Antarctica and the Cold War: The significance of the Antarctic Treaty.
• The role of scientific cooperation as a tool for diplomacy during the Cold War.
• The Cold War’s influence on medical research and breakthroughs.

Broader Impacts

• The Cold War’s contribution to the environmental movement.
• The effect of the Cold War on international trade agreements and policies.
• Analysis of the Cold War’s role in the formation and policies of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Cold War Essay Ideas

• Most influential nations during the Cold War
• Reasons the Cold War remains a focal point in history
• Catalysts of the Cold War
• Key figures during the Cold War and their significance
• Concepts that redirected the trajectory of the Cold War
• The Cold War’s relationship with women’s rights
• The impact of the Cold War on children
• Chile’s experience during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s imprint on global politics
• Limitations on nuclear weapons during the Cold War

Need Assistance with Your Essay?

Should you encounter challenges while writing about the Cold War, our experts are always available to assist. Their proficiency in history ensures they are well-equipped to tackle Cold War topics. Place an order today to connect with an expert.

Cold War Research Guide

• Cold War Collections
• Alger Hiss Collections

Hours & Location

Tamiment library and robert f. wagner labor archives.

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library 70 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012 [email protected] (212) 998-2630

Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives form a unique center for scholarly research on labor history and the history of socialist, anarchist, communist and other radical political movements.

To search other Cold War Collections in the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, visit the  search portal for Tamiment collections .​

For further information and tips on how to perform searches, please consult the  Tamiment Research Guide .

Special Collections Research Account

All researchers wishing to use archival collections and researchers unaffiliated with NYU wishing to use the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives must register to use the collections, which entails registering a  Special Collections Research Account (SCRA)  and showing a valid photo ID when they arrive at Tamiment. 

For more information consult the  SCRA FAQ .

Upcoming Events

RSVP at  [email protected] .  All events at the Tamiment are free and open to the public.

CPUSA New York Demonstrations 1949 Smith Act Prosecutions

Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) - Smith Act Prosecution - New York - Demonstrations against, 1949; The Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection; PHOTOS.223; Box 401; Folder 20149; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Center for the United States and the Cold War

Tamiment's Cold War collections focus on the ways in which the ideological and geopolitical conflict with the Soviet Union affected American politics, culture, and society from 1945 to 1991. 

Highlighted Cold War Collections

• Alger Hiss Collections The Tamiment Library’s Alger Hiss (1904-1996) collections include Hiss family papers, his legal defense files, as well as collections from long-time Hiss associates. The Debevoise & Plimpton Records on Alger Hiss (dated 1938-1980) contain files from the legal firm's representation of Alger Hiss in his 1949 perjury trials and his 1979 coram nobis petition to overturn his conviction. A select group of materials from the Debevoise & Plimpton Records are being digitized and will be available online in 2018. In addition to the original archival materials that are housed at NYU, both the Alger Hiss Defense Collection for the Harvard Law School Library and the Hiss Papers are available through Microfilm. Future projects will microfilm the Alger Hiss correspondence in the records of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Alger Hiss files in the United Nations Archives.
• Phillip Agee Papers (TAM.517) Philip Burnett Franklin Agee (1935–2008) joined the CIA in 1957, and over the following decade had postings in Washington, D.C., Ecuador, Uruguay, and Mexico. After resigning from the Agency in 1968, he became a leading opponent of CIA practices. He was best known as the author of Inside the Company: CIA Diary (1975), which identified about 250 CIA officers, front companies and foreign agents then or previously working for the United States.
• Jay and Si-Lan Chen Leyda Papers (TAM.083) Jay Leyda (1910-1988) studied directing with Sergei Eisenstein at the Moscow State Film School, became a correspondent for Theatre Arts Monthly and New Theatre , and was an art critic for the Moscow News . In 1936, Leyda was the assistant to Iris Barry, curator of the Film Library of the Museum of Modern Art, but resigned amidst allegations that he was a subversive agent. Leyda went to Hollywood in 1942 where he was a technical advisor on films on Russian subjects. His wife, Si Lan Chen Leyda (b. 1909), was a modern dancer who attended the Bolshoi Ballet School and Vera Maya's school in Moscow where she met and married Leyda.
• Church League of America Collection of the Research Files of Counterattack , the Wackenhut Corporation, and Karl Baarslag (TAM.148) The Church League of America (1937-1984), a right wing anti-communist research and advocacy group, collected these research files from other creators with a similar political outlook and professional activities: American Business Consultants Inc., the Wackenhut Corporation, and Karl Baarslag. All of these creators had connections to the intelligence agencies of the United States government, kept detailed research files on individuals and organizations, and were part of a right-wing research and information network that monitored Communists.
• Communist Party of the United States (TAM.132) The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) is a Marxist-Leninist political organization that was founded in Chicago in 1919 and played a pivotal role in many political and social movements of the 20th century. The Party’s work left an indelible mark in the arena of progressive politics, particularly from the 1920s to the 1940s. Though the CPUSA’s strength and size declined sharply following the advent of the Cold War and McCarthyism, it remained committed to economic and social justice. Though materials from as early as 1892 can be found in the collection, the bulk of the records were created between 1950 and 1990. A more comprehensive record of the CPUSA’s early 20th century activity can be found in the Files of the Communist Party of the USA in the Comintern Archives, 1919-1943 (Microfilm R-7548).
• The Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection (PHOTOS.223) The official organ of the Communist Party, USA, the Daily Worker's attempted to speak to the broad left-wing community in the United States, covering a wide range of events in the United States and around the world. Images of many important people, groups and events associated with the CPUSA and the American Left are present in the collection, as well as images of a wide variety of people, subjects and events not explicitly linked with the CPUSA or Left politics.
• National Council on American-Soviet Friendship Records (TAM.134) The National Council of American-Soviet Friendship succeeded the National Council on Soviet Relations, founded in 1941. The NCSR grew out of the more overtly radical American-Soviet friendship movement of the 1930's, whose organizational center was the Friends of the Soviet Union founded in 1929. The Council, composed largely of professionals who were sympathetic to Socialism, believed that the USSR and the United States should join together in their common fight against fascism. In 1946, the House Un-American Activities Committee began a formal investigation of NCASF, and in 1947, it was indicted for failure to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board.
• National Guardian Photographs (PHOTOS.213) The National Guardian (later known as The Guardian ) was a radical leftist weekly newspaper published in New York City between 1948 and 1992. The National Guardian reported on labor, activism, reform, and social movements without particular party affiliations, advocating for a unified leftist party in the United States. Known for its independent and investigative journalism, the paper produced significant pieces on civil rights and the Cold War, and was one of the few publications to print news sympathetic to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg during their trial and execution.
• National Lawyers Guild (TAM.191) The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) was founded in 1937 as an association of progressive lawyers and jurists who believed that lawyers had a major role to play in reconstructing legal values by emphasizing human rights over property rights. This collection includes early administrative records of the Guild, primarily those of its National Office and New York City Chapter, as well as materials describing legal and political activities of many of the Guild's chapters and committees. The bulk of the collection, however, is focused on the court case which revealed that the Guild had been the target of a forty-year covert Federal Bureau of Investigation campaign of surveillance, infiltration and intimidation (National Lawyers Guild v. Attorney General, 1977-1989).
• Victor Navasky Papers (TAM.594) Victor Navasky (b. 1932) was editor of The Nation from 1978-1995, publisher and editorial director from 1995-2005, and later publisher emeritus. The collection provides a broad view of Victor Navasky’s life, his interests, and his work. His books, articles, essays, plays, and speeches are represented, particularly his extensive research on the Hollywood Blacklist and the early Cold War. There is a small audio-visual series containing, for example, audio recordings of a number of interviews Navasky conducted for his book, Naming Names .

(Note: Tamiment Researchers must use: Microfilm - Film R-7860)

The Rapp-Coudert Committee (New York State Joint Legislative Committee on the State Education System) was charged with investigating individuals and organizations with suspected radical ties in New York City public schools and colleges from 1940-1942. This collection consists of the Committee's investigation files including correspondence, interview notes, lists and hearing transcripts; minutes; and copies of Communist, anti-war and civil liberties publications collected by the Committee in the course of investigations. (Note that Tamiment Library holds only a microfilm version of this collection Film R-7860. The original documents are held by the New York State Archives.)

• Howard Zinn Papers (TAM.542) Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, activist, playwright, teacher, public speaker and author of articles, essays, and books including his best-selling A People’s History of the United States . Reaching the wider public through his work, Zinn celebrated the lives of ordinary individuals engaged in the struggle for peace and justice, highlighting their often overlooked victories, and encouraging his audiences to engage as well. This collection provides a broad view of Howard Zinn’s many activities and interests, including his articles, interviews, and lectures on US foreign policy during the Cold War.
• Tamiment Serials Collections (Multiple Collections) Uncataloged Tamiment serials were archivally processed and opened for research by February 2019, with all finding aids and catalog records published and discoverable as collections were completed. In addition, 253 publications, measuring over 250 linear feet, were identified as matches for bibliographically cataloged titles throughout NYU’s sub-libraries, and moved to these sub-libraries to fill gaps in existing holdings. The project resulted in 9,397 previously uncataloged and under-described unique serial titles being arranged into 24 assembled subject-based collections.
• Civil Rights Serials (TAM.771)
• Africa Serials (TAM.782)
• Asia Serials (TAM.779)
• Communist and Socialist Serials (TAM.747)
• Foreign Politics Serials (TAM.765)
• Latin America Serials (TAM.770)
• Religion Serials (TAM.777)
• United States Politics and Government Serials (TAM.759)
• War and Peace Movement Serials (TAM.757)
• Next: Cold War Collections >>
• Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 11:37 AM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/coldwar

Cold War: Primary Sources

• Getting Started
• Background Information & Context
• Articles & Books

Primary Sources

• Citation Style
• Schedule Appointment

Digitized Collections

• Atomic Heritage Foundation The Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF), founded by Cynthia Kelly in 2002, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Age and its legacy.
• Atomic Spies: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg CIA Library - This collection provides interesting Agency insights on this post-WWII spy case. Documents cover, among many other topics, US intelligence activities, including FBI-CIA cooperation; USSR intelligence activities; the Rosenberg espionage network's collection against the US atomic energy program; their attempts to protect the network as US authorities closed in on it; their arrest; Soviet propaganda; the Soviet's protest of the Rosenberg's sentencing; and Moscow's reaction to the execution of their spies.
• The Avalon Project Yale Law School - Documents in law, history, and diplomacy
• Cold War Hoover Institution, Stanford University - Collections are from US secretaries of state, individual activists and propagandists, and many émigré groups involved in the ideological struggle. Important subsets are collections relating to “citizen diplomacy,” in which individuals and organizations acted to defuse international tensions, particularly the danger of nuclear conflict; records of organizations on the front lines, such as the Free Europe Committee (later RFE/RL), involved in broadcasting and other activities aiming to penetrate the Iron Curtain; and papers relating to the role of the Third World in the confrontation.
• The Cold War and the Marshall Plan US National Archives and Records Administration - Contains links to NARA resources and other government and educational sites.
• Cold War History Wilson Center Digital Archive - Since its establishment in August 1991, the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) has amassed a tremendous collection of archival documents on the Cold War era from the once secret archives of former communist countries. CWIHP has become internationally recognized as the world’s preeminent resource on the Cold War.

• Digital Public Library of America Discover 29,505,026 images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum - Online Documents Online documents on a number of topics related to the Cold War (i.e., McCarthyism, Rosenbergs, Sputnik & the Space Race, U-2 Spy Plane Incident)
• Europeana Collections Explore 58,246,083 artworks, artifacts, books, films and music from European museums, galleries, libraries and archives.
• Executive Sessions of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations (McCarthy Hearings 1953-54) This five-volume collection of Senate hearings is available online (in PDF format). Volumes 1-4 cover the 1953 hearings, and 1954 hearings are found in volume 5. Also available in print: Young Library, U.S. Government Publications (5th floor), Y 4.G 74/9:S.PRT.107-84/V.1-5
• FBI Records: The Vault The FBI has converted many FOIA documents to an electronic format (PDF), and they may be viewed here. In the case of voluminous pages, only summaries or excerpts from the documents are online. Subjects are sorted alphabetically by first name. You can also use your browser's find feature to locate subjects on the page.
• Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum - Ideological Foundations of the Cold War This collection focuses on the ideals that formed the basis of American policy toward the Soviet Union during the early years of the Cold War. The collection includes 57 documents totaling 681 pages covering the years 1945 through 1952. Supporting materials include photographs, oral history transcripts, biographies and a chronology of events. Related collections available from the Truman Library include subject guides on the Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine and United Nations.
• House Committee on Un-American Activities Locate physical copies and online access to government documents created by the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
• The House Committee on Un-American Activities: Hearings in San Francisco, May 1960 (Audio) Excerpts from the actual hearings, interviews outside the courtroom, and from eyewitness accounts.
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum - Archival Collections Search & browse for documents, photographs, audio, film & video, and oral histories.
• NSC 68: United States Objectives and Programs for National Security - April 14, 1950 View the National Security Council document of April 1950 that set in motion the massive military buildup of the Cold War.
• Rosenberg Grand Jury Transcripts US National Archives and Records Administration - Court records of Rosenberg Trial
• Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (Audio) February 9th, 1950: McCarthy “discovered Communism the way Columbus discovered America.” Here is a record of McCarthy’s infamous interrogations of accused “communists,” with commentary from Emile de Antonio describing how in fact the junior Senator from Wisconsin perfected “the big lie technique” that basically resulted in witch hunts persecuting, in particular, academics.
• Student Voices: Brooklyn College Oral Histories on World War II and the McCarthy Era In this oral history website Brooklyn College students narrate two historical episodes: their experiences of working on farms during World War II, and the events surrounding the suspension of the Vanguard, the student newspaper in a postwar McCarthy era climate.
• The World on the Brink: John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Thirteen Days in October 1962 John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum - Read formerly classified documents and listen in on secretly recorded ExComm meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Historical News Article Databases

Historical News Article Databases - Kentucky

• Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program For more than 60 years the University of Kentucky Libraries have preserved Kentucky newspapers, making them freely available to researchers, genealogists, and the general public. Today, the Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program (KDNP) brings those newspaper collections to a global audience through an online interface that's fully keyword searchable, replete with color page images, calendar browsing, and web-based html newspaper content alongside traditional print media.

Government Publications

• Foreign Broadcast Information Service The Foreign Broadcast Information Service is a federal agency that monitors and translates foreign media into English. FBIS Daily Reports are translated transcripts of foreign radio and television broadcasts, news agency transmissions, newspapers, periodicals, and government statements. The reports contain political, military, economic, environmental, and sociological news and information. To locate and access the full-text translations use the Index to the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) daily reports .

Using InfoKat Discovery To Find Primary Sources

In addition to specialized digital collections and historical news article databases, you can also use the Libraries' catalog to locate primary sources.  Here are some search tips:

• Limit your search to a specific time period ( must use Advanced Search limiter "publication date" ).  Or after your search, filter your results by "Date." 
• Use certain subject words like "sources,"  "personal narrative,"  "periodicals,"  "diary," or letters"  to find things that might be primary sources.  It's often useful to sort by year as well.

• << Previous: Articles & Books
• Next: Citation Style >>
• Last Updated: Oct 31, 2023 3:12 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uky.edu/cold-war

Early Cold War Research and the Enduring Relevance Question: Area Studies, Behavioralism, and the SSRC

The postwar Behavioral Revolution, Michael Desch argues, aimed to infuse social science with “scientific” approaches while preserving its applicability in the policy world. Focusing on two of the Behavioral Revolution’s leading figures, Talcott Parsons and Gabriel Almond (and their ties to the SSRC), he contends that, in fact, the goal of relevance was sacrificed through the pursuit of behavioralist theories and approaches. With a focus on comparative politics, Desch claims that the marginalizing of area studies, by focusing on more universal models of politics, took attention away from the contextual knowledge that was more needed by, and thus relevant to, policymaking.

The Behavioral Revolution within academia

No scholar more assiduously tried to modernize postwar social science than Parsons. The Harvard sociologist was among the legions of social scientists who rallied to the colors during the Second World War, an experience that convinced him that social science had been an important, if underappreciated, weapon in the arsenal of democracy. Moreover, the development of the atomic bomb instilled in him a sense of urgency about clarifying the role that social sciences could play in guiding postwar policy. 2 Uta Gerhardt, Talcott Parsons: An Intellectual Biography (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002), 150–51. Parsons’s massive 1948 report to the SSRC, Social Science: A Basic National Resource , sounded the charge in his major battle to define social science’s new role.

In it, Parsons outlined a detailed campaign plan for making the social sciences more scientific while ensuring they would continue to aid policymakers as they waged the Cold War. He sought to distance social science from the humanities, which were “orientated much more to appreciation than to analysis, prediction, and control.” The hallmark of science, and its unifying element, in his view, was theory: “The critical basis of the organization and generalization of knowledge lies in ‘conceptual schemes’ or ‘theory.’ It may therefore be said that the most important single index of the scientific status of a body of knowledge lies in the degree of technicality and scope of empirical applicability of the generalized conceptual schemes, of ‘theory’ in the field.”

Theory was inextricably linked, in Parsons’s mind, with basic, rather than applied, research. Indeed, Parsons recognized a fundamental tension between science and policy: “The kind of simplification which is essential, especially in the early stages of a scientific development, seems unrealistic and useless to practical men. It does not promise help in their immediate problems.” Moreover, he opposed social scientists doing policy-relevant work because it would raise unrealistic expectations and divert the best minds into policy analysis. Additionally, he viewed policy-focused research as more likely to be pressured or influenced by outside forces, whereas “basic” social science work would remain intellectually pure.

While not a particularly methodologically sophisticated social scientist himself, Parsons was nevertheless adamant that the only hope for the future of social science was for it to be dominated by “key” men committed to the scientific enterprise. As he boasted, “those who still argue whether the scientific study of social life is possible are far behind the times. It is here, and that fact ends the argument.” 3 Talcott Parsons, “Social Science: A Basic National Resource” in The Nationalization of the Social Sciences , ed. Samuel Z. Klausner and Victor M. Lidz (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986), 42–3, 45, 46, 47, 51, 53, 78, 104, 105, and 107. Indeed, he feared the forces for the status quo within the social sciences were so powerful that he was willing to see the rest of the field remain ineligible for support from the new National Science Foundation if he could not guarantee that it would go exclusively to social “scientists.” A revised, coauthored, draft of Parsons’s report was to have been published as a monograph under the SSRC’s imprint, but multiple revisions were rejected because the Council’s reviewers remained unpersuaded by Parsons’s conflation of the natural and the social science approaches and his unbounded confidence that basic research would eventually produce practical results. 4 Gerhardt, Talcott Parsons , 163–64. Still, Parsons’ personal failure with the SSRC should not mask the larger success he and like-minded colleagues enjoyed in remaking social science in his preferred image through the Behavioral Revolution.

Area studies in national security policy

The legacies of that wartime mobilization of the professoriate would linger for a time after the Second World War. Given the extensive service of area studies scholars with the wartime intelligence community, there was initial postwar optimism about continuing cooperation between the academy and the government, particularly upon their return to the groves of academe where they established major “area studies” research centers on many campuses around the country. 8 →Robin W. Winks, Cloak and Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939–1961 , 2nd ed. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996), 114–15 and 384. →Also, see Bundy, “The Battlefields of Power and the Searchlights of the Academy,” 2–3; Edward Shils, “ Social Science and Social Policy ,” Philosophy of Science 16, no. 3 (July 1949): 230; and Gene M. Lyons, The Uneasy Partnership: Social Science and the Federal Government in the Twentieth Century (New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1969), 112. The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 injected substantial funds to bolster expertise in this field early in the Cold War, 9 James G. Hershberg, James B. Conant: Harvard to Hiroshima and the Making of the Nuclear Age (Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1993), 711. while the Title VI program underwrote regional centers at many universities. 10 David C. Engerman, “ Rethinking Cold War Universities: Some Recent Histories ,” Journal of Cold War Studies 5, no. 3 (Summer 2003): 83. Ironically, these efforts to increase the number of academic area experts by seeding them throughout regular social science departments inadvertently undermined their unique approach by forcing them to comport with disciplinary criteria of scholarly excellence.

This effort to maintain the wartime spirit of cooperation between academe and the policy community would have at best mixed results. Until the Behavioral Revolution swept political science, area studies had been its dominant approach to comparative politics. While acknowledging its wartime contributions, Parsons dismissed area studies on the grounds that they belonged “predominantly in the field of fact-finding research.” 11 Parsons, “Social Science: A Basic National Resource,” 74. Postbehavioral comparative politics sought to generate general theories of political and economic behavior in the developing world that could be derived deductively and tested formally or statistically, while the area studies approach focused on describing and understanding the unique dynamics of particular regions or countries.

Separating area studies from political science

At least initially, proponents of the new approach believed a more rigorous comparative politics would prove relevant to Cold War policy. One of the leaders in this effort was Gabriel Almond. 12 →Robert Adcock, “Interpreting Behavioralism” in Modern Political Science: Anglo-American Exchanges Since 1880 , Robert Adcock, Mark Bevir, and Shannon Stimson, ed. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007), 200. →Also, see Ido Oren, Our Enemies and Us: America’s Rivalries and the Making of Political Science (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003) 148. Trained originally as a specialist in US politics at the University of Chicago, he eventually marched with the vanguard of the Behavioral Revolution in comparative politics. Like his mentors Charles Merriam and Harold Lasswell, Almond was bullish about the development of “policy science.” As he explained elsewhere, “practical policy motives have forced the modern political scientist to concern himself with the whole range of political systems which exist in the modern world—from African kingdoms and tribal organizations to traditional oligarchies such as Saudi Arabia, and transitional, modernizing systems such as Burma and India.” 13 Gabriel A. Almond, “Introduction: A Functional Approach to Comparative Politics” in The Politics of the Developing Areas , Gabriel A. Almond and James S. Coleman, ed. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1960), 10. Indeed, a central element of his critique of anthropology and other cultural approaches like area studies was their lack of policy relevance. 14 Gabriel A. Almond, “ Anthropology, Political Behavior, and International Relations ,” World Politics 2, no. 2 (January 1950): 281. He was particularly critical of political science, dismissing it as a “stagnant pool.” 15 Almond, “Introduction,” 13. Reflecting the new policy-science mindset that assumed that more rigorously derived knowledge constituted a sounder basis for policymaking, Almond was convinced comparative politics had to leave the area studies approach behind and become more scientific.

Echoes of these debates about relevance have continued to reverberate. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’s post–Cold War Minerva Initiative testifies to continuing dissatisfaction among national security policymakers with purely in-house research and analysis but also the lack of useful scholarly research on some of the most pressing post–Cold War security issues. In his April 2008 speech to the American Association of Universities on the 50th anniversary of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), he telegraphed that the social science expertise he sought seemed more akin to the area studies model. 34 Also see Catherine Lutz, “ The Perils of Pentagon Funding for Anthropology and the Other Social Sciences ,” The Minerva Controversy (New York, The Social Science Research Council, August 30, 2009), 1. But by that point area studies had long ago fallen “out of fashion” among most social scientists, 35 →Richard K. Betts, “ Fixing Intelligence ,” Foreign Affairs 81, no. 1 (January/February 2002): 58–9. →Also, see Joseph Lepgold and Miroslav Nincic, Beyond the Ivory Tower: International Relations Theory and the Issue of Policy Relevance (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001) 5. →Vinay Sitapati, “ Hegemony in the Politics Department ,” The Daily Princetonian , April 5, 2011. →Jack Snyder, “ Science and Sovietology: Bridging the Methods Gap in Soviet Foreign Policy Studies ,” World Politics 40, no. 2 (January 1988): 169–93. highlighting that the unintended consequence of Parsons’s and Almond’s embrace of the Behavioral Revolution was not to settle social science’s relevance question but rather to keep it open permanently.

Some portions of this essay draw upon Michael Desch, The Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social Science on National Security (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2019).

References:

Michael C. Desch

Michael C. Desch is Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations at the University of Notre Dame and Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center. He also served two terms as chair of the Department of Political Science. Prior to joining the faculty at Notre Dame, he was the founding Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and the first holder of the Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security Decision-Making at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Among other scholarly and administrative appointments,... Read more

You may also like

Insecurity in security: queer precarity and politics in south korea, the ssrc’s top ten most-read essays of 2021, where do black lives matter police violence and antiracism in france and the united states, dehumanization and the normalization of violence: it’s not what you think.

• Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

Advertisement