With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines events in the '70s that chilled the developing thaw in Cold War politics. The program shows how human rights violations in the Soviet Union and new missile bases in Eastern Europe put detente back in the deep freeze.
by Rose of Sharon Winter
synopsis
