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Cold War refers to the years of tension and suspicion following World
War II that |
strained
relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Americans recognized that
the Russians
wanted to spread Communism around the globe, in part by manipulating third-world
countries. Both super powers had developed nuclear bombs capable of mass
destruction, and neither trusted the other not to use them.
 ikita
S. Khrushchev (1894-1971) was Premier of the U.S.S.R. and First Secretary
of the Communist Party-or Chairman. A tough and experienced Soviet politico,
Khrushchev rose to power after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. He
advocated the expansion of Communism and engaged in the arms race with
the U.S.
The American people reacted fearfully to the threat of Communism and the
realities of nuclear weapons, creating bomb shelters and rationing supplies.
School children practiced "duck and cover" drills, filing into the hallways
and covering their heads with their hands. Some American families dug
trenches and installed fallout shelters in their backyards, and everyone
learned to recognize the yellow-and-black signs that indicated fallout
shelters in their neighborhoods.
For
More Information try these books:
Bay
of Pigs Declassified
The Kennedy Tapes
Thirteen Days
The Kennedys and Cuba
The Most Dangerous Area in the World
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