AllMovie

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 shows that just as rebellion against the establishment was afoot in America, the Soviets were having their own problems with the younger generation. Students there protested for reform and affected the symbols of liberty in the West, from rock & roll to blue jeans. The program also details the events of 1968, when the world watched as the Soviet Union crushed the impulse for freedom in Czechoslovakia.