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 looks at the ultimate symbol of the Cold War -- the Berlin Wall. To keep people from fleeing the communist regime of East Berlin, the Soviets helped build the wall in Berlin. The program shows that while many people escaped over the wall, some died in the attempt.