The Cold War

Syllabus tag: KCSE | History and Government | Form 4 | Topic 31 The Cold War

Lesson objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

• Define the Cold War and explain its causes.
• Describe its course and the main crises.
• Explain how it was conducted without direct war between the superpowers.
• Explain its effects on Africa and the reasons for its end.

Summary

The Cold War (1945–91) was the hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union conducted without direct fighting between them. It arose from ideological, political and strategic differences after 1945 and was waged through alliances, propaganda, an arms race, espionage, aid and proxy wars — many of them in Africa.