THE COLD WAR

ORIGINS

• War began as a competition over global power
• U.S. and Soviet Union each had own economic system
• Each system tried to show its superiority
• "Cold War" - No direct combat occurred

ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

• Capitalism believed in a free market based system
• Believed more in personal liberties and individual freedoms
• Reformed to give government more power
• Communism exerted more power on the people
• Less based on laissez-faire, reformed away from Stalin's ideals

CONTAINMENT

• U.S. tried to deny Moscow chances for advancement
• Known as the containment strategy
• Soviet Union responded by supporting wars for liberation
• Soviets tried to gain equal military power with U.S.

KITCHEN DEBATE

• Improvised, live debate between Nixon and Khrushchev
• Debated merits of communism vs. capitalism
• Each country tried to prove its superior culture
• Illustrated the trowing rift between the U.S. and Soviet Union