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History · Grades 10–12

The Cold War: key ideas

Study guide for Grades 10 to 12: 4 key ideas, including A “cold” war, alliances and arms race and crises; 2 worked examples and 3 practice questions. The rivalry between US-led and Soviet-led blocs from the late 1940s to 1991, and Canada’s place in it.

One-page printable summary: The Cold War: key ideas · Revision sheet.

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A “cold” war

From about 1947 to 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for influence without fighting each other in a full-scale war.

Alliances

NATO was founded in 1949 with Canada as a founding member; the Soviet Union and several Eastern European states formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

Arms race and crises

Both sides built nuclear arsenals. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was one of the most dangerous moments.

The end

The Berlin Wall opened in 1989, and the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

Worked examples

Why is the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union called a “cold” war?

The conflict was fought through rivalry, alliances and proxy wars rather than direct war between the superpowers.

The two superpowers did not fight each other directly in a full-scale war.

Canada was a founding member of which alliance formed in 1949?

NATO was founded in 1949; Canada was one of its original members.

NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Check your understanding

  1. Which alliance did the Soviet Union and several Eastern European states form in 1955?

    1. The Commonwealth
    2. NATO
    3. The Warsaw Pact
    4. The United Nations

  2. What was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?

    1. A standoff over Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba
    2. A trade dispute over sugar prices
    3. A dispute over the first satellite launch
    4. A war between Cuba and Canada

  3. Which event in 1989 became a symbol of the Cold War’s end?

    1. The opening of the Berlin Wall
    2. The start of the Korean War
    3. The launch of Sputnik 1
    4. The founding of NATO

Answers and marking notes

Answers and marking notes
  1. The Warsaw Pact

    The Warsaw Pact was created in 1955.

  2. A standoff over Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba

    The crisis centred on Soviet missiles in Cuba and ended after negotiations.

  3. The opening of the Berlin Wall

    The Berlin Wall opened in November 1989.

How this page was made: written for StudyBrix with AI assistance from our own templates. Answers and worked examples are checked by automated tests, and grade bands are approximate, not an official curriculum alignment. See the editorial policy for corrections. Editorial policy