Topic 7: The changing world order (1945–   )

The end of the Second World War saw the emergence of new superpowers. Contested spaces and opposing ideologies shaped global economics and politics. Students investigate ways in which the Cold War experience involved complex phases of reaction, reform, conflict, and compromise. They consider how leaders and movements rose and fell, while the issues of alliances, rivalries, and change continued.

The following are focus areas for study in this topic:

• the origins of the superpower rivalry
• the nature of the Cold War
• the end of the Cold War
• the consequences of the Cold War.

The origins of the superpower rivalry

• The origins and early development of the Cold War to 1948. Examples include interpretations of ideological, cultural, and political differences; the creation of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization); the Warsaw Pact; and the Berlin blockade.

The nature of the Cold War

• The evolving nature and character of the Cold War from 1948 to 1985. Examples include military and non-military rivalries; the arms race and threat of nuclear war; the space race; alliances, cultural/technological/sporting rivalry, and espionage; the nature of the connections with the superpowers; and the impact on people and societies.

The end of the Cold War

• Reasons for, and experiences of, the end of the Cold War. Examples include the impact of political leadership, movements, and demands for change; and changing economic, social, and cultural conditions.

The consequences of the Cold War

• The changing nature of the world order in the period since 1989. Examples include the peaceful reunification of Germany; the formation of the European Union; the disintegration of Yugoslavia; the Soviet-Afghan war; the emerging influence of China; and the rise of nationalism.