159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🤫 Secrets of Powerful Essay on the Cold War

The Cold War is a significant part of the world’s history. Its term refers to the period between 1950 and late 1980, known for a great tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Essays on the Cold War are important assignments because they allow students to research the topic in detail. As the war was a major event that has affected many countries, students should prepare well for writing their Cold War essays. Our goal is to help you in writing an outstanding paper.

Start with researching the topics for your essay and selecting the one that interests you the most. Here are some Cold War essay titles we can suggest:

• Does the Cold War affect people or nations today?
• The link between the Cold War and the Korean War
• Argumentative essay on which country started the war
• Capitalist and communist economies during the Cold War
• The impact of the Cold War on international relations
• The link between the Domino theory and the Cold War
• The Effect of the Cold War on the environment

Select one of our titles or check out the examples of the Cold War essay topics online. Now you are ready to work on your essay. Here are some secrets of writing a powerful paper on the Cold War:

• Research the selected issue and think of the Cold War essay prompts you will discuss. Develop an outline for your paper based on your future arguments. Remember that an outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Do not forget to add a title page, if necessary.
• A good Cold War essay introduction should include some background information about the issue, its causes, and effects. Present a thesis statement in the last sentence of this section. It can look like this:

The Cold War still affects the population of North Korea.

• Discuss all relevant data in the body paragraphs. Identify the Cold War leaders, its ideology, global powers, and propaganda. Remember that the reader should get a full perspective on the issue you are discussing.
• Discuss the events that had happened before the Cold War began. What caused its eruption? What were the interests of parties responsible for the Cold War?
• Reflect on the consequences of the Cold War and its effects on today’s world. It will help you to get the reader’s interest.
• You can also discuss what would have happened if the war did not erupt or ended differently.
• Support your claims with evidence and add in-text citations when you refer to information from outside sources. Hint: Use peer-reviewed articles or scholarly books as your main sources of information. Do not rely on personal blogs or websites like Wikipedia.
• Summarize your arguments in a concluding paragraph. Restate your thesis and present the findings of the paper. Remember to end your essay on a positive note.
• Although content is important, make sure that you use correct grammar and sentence structures too. Check the paper several times to make sure that you have made no crucial mistakes. Remember that spelling is important too. You can ask your peers to review the paper for you, if possible.

Remember that our free samples are there for you if you need some ideas for your paper!

🏆 Best Cold War Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

1. “The Cold War: A New History” by John Lewis Gaddis
   In Chapter 1 “Return of Fear”, Gaddis states that the Cold War was caused due to the competing and divergent ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union.
2. Post-Cold War Challenges
   At the time when strained relations between the US and the Soviet Union ended, the financial systems of several countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, were in the process of collapsing.
3. The Cold War and the Balance of Power Theory
   The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Communist Block have led to a complete change in the balance of power in the international arena.
4. Great Depression and Cold War: Making of Modern America
   This paper will explore the causes of the Great Depression, the measures implemented within the New Deal, Cold War tensions, and the changes to the American society by the civil rights movement.
5. The Cold War: Gains and Losses
   The United States was one of the countries that took part in the Cold War; it also involved itself in Space Race. The formation of alliances among the nations involved in the Cold War contributed […]
6. The Middle East Cold War: Role of Great Powers
   Turner specified that from 1965 until 1970, the Middle East was in a state of cold war due to the attempts of Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, backed by the U.S.S.
7. The Cold War’s Impact on the Middle East
   “The Cold War: Global Conflict, Regional Upheavals,” by Fred Halliday, explores the implications of policies that were formulated during the Cold War and the atrocities that followed the Middle East up to the twenty-first century.
8. Sex and Gender in Cold War Culture
   During the Cold War, the polarizing gender ideology and the expressive dichotomy between men and women was a means of gaining an advantage in the capitalism-socialism struggle in the global political arena.
9. Reasons for Soviets Losing the Cold War
   Following the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the second world war, the uncomfortable wartime alliance between Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union started to crumble.
10. The Cold War: Reassessing the Cold War and the Far-Right
    The cold war was a rivalry between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their allies. Loss of lives in different states was a massive consequence of the cold war.
11. International Relations: Atomic Bombs and Cold War
    The dropping of the nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the United States directly contributed to the initiation of the Cold War. The utilization of the bombs led the Soviet Union to see the […]
12. The Unfinished Journey: The US During the Cold War
    The first statement at the beginning of the chapter is that the Vietnam War is a consequence of the Cold War.
13. The Cold War Ideologies’ Impact on the American History
    The key powers involved in the cold war were the United States of America and the Soviet Union. As the Americans adopted capitalism while building the economy, the society was divided into two classes, the […]
14. Cold War Impact on Germany
    The question of Germany’s destiny, its state structure, and postwar borders were on the agenda of the meetings of representatives of the leading countries – members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the years of the […]
15. The Cold War: The US vs. the Soviets Polarization
    The relationship between the U.S.and the Soviets was shaped by an intricate interplay of economic, political, and ideological factors, which resulted in the change between vigilant collaboration and often vicious superpower competition.
16. Causes of the Cold War’s End
    Reagan’s policies may have contributed to the fall of communism, but it is more likely that the internal changes in the Soviet Union and the countries it ruled contributed more to the end of the […]
17. The Cold War as a Turning Point in History
    Thus, one of the main events that became the subject of public discussion and concern of the world community was the actions of the United States of America and Russia in relation to the Middle […]
18. The Global Cold War Book by Westad
    In the book “The Global Cold War” by Westad, the author seeks to understand why the cold war took longer and also the reason it became global.
19. Latin America Impacted by Global Cold War
    This paper aims to discuss the conceptual positioning of Latin America in the context of the Global Cold War as the heart of the Third World.
20. The Events of 1968 in American History and the Cold War
    Therefore, 1968 was a year of the end of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the end of spying, Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, racial protest in the Olympics, and the start of space exploration.
21. The Cold War and Engagement
    The key elements of U.S.diplomacy to China and the Middle East were aimed at keeping the United States out of the problems of world affairs and improving foreign relations.
22. US Strategy From the Cold War to the Post-Global War on Terrorism
    Before the collapse of the United Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, the United State’s strategy during the Cold War era had been one of deterrence to the potential threats of the USSR and its allies […]
23. The Cold War in Context: Geopolitics
    In such difficult times, as the Cold War and the spread of terrorism, the role of Christians is to pursue one of God’s main principles, which is hope.
24. Significant Events of the Cold War
    The confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War resulted in international crises. The USSR made a scientific breakthrough in the field of space during the Cold War.
25. The Significance of the Iron Curtain at World War II and the Cold War
    Churchill encouraged the US and the UK to unite and ensure that they ended the actions that the Soviet Union was exercising.
26. Countries That Suffered the Greatest as a Result of the Cold War
    After the Second World War, there was a long period of tension between the democracies of the Western World and the communists’ countries of Eastern Europe, which is called The Cold War.
27. Cold War Exchange in the Bridges of Spies Film
    Since the film is based on actual events, it is logical that this work’s primary purpose is to reflect the historical scene. However, according to the authors, the film is fiction and not documentary work.
28. The Cold War Impact on African States & Societies
    The Cold War became a global geopolitical, military, and economic confrontation between the two blocs of states, the centers of which were the United States and the USSR, from 1946 to the end of 1980.
29. How Did Cold War and Post-Cold War U.S. Imperialism Affect African Societies?
    During the Cold War, both the socialist motives of the USSR and the imperialist nature of the United States affected African nations and their changing political states.
30. Latin America and the Cold War
    In the conditions of the Cold War, namely in the middle of the 1940s-1970s, Latin America was the arena of the struggle for the spheres of influence of the US and the Soviet Union.
31. Cold War: Personalities of Individuals and Their Nations
    Cold War was a period in world history where the tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union was at its peak. One of the key characters to improve the relationship between […]
32. Post-Cold War Russia: Global, Strategic, and Diplomatic Importance
    The end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the considerable shift in global politics and economics, making reconsider a large number of issues in international relations and diplomacy.

🥇 Most Interesting Cold War Topics to Write about

1. US Actions Abroad During the Cold War
   With the intensification of the Cold War in the 1950-s, the chase for dominance between the Communist countries and the US was manifested by the invasion of the empires into the domestic affairs of Vietnam […]
2. The Cold War and the Events of September 11
   The anxieties arising from the issue of European immigrants echo the sentiments of securitization and Islamophobia following the events of September 11.
3. The Cold War and Motivations Behind It
   Evaluating the situation, it appears that the major motivation behind the actions of the major players in this conflict was the distribution of authority in the world which started after the capitulation of Germany.
4. Cold War: Summary, Causes, History, & Facts
   The plot of the Soviet Union to spread the issue of communism to all parts of the world stands out as the major cause of the Cold War.
5. US Involvement in Southeast Asia and the Cold War
   Vietnam is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that experienced the United States involvement in its politics in the 1950s Some of the reasons that have been fronted as having led to the involvement […]
6. A Zero-Sum Game or a Win-Win Situation: The Outcome of the Cold War
   As for the historical context, after the War the USA had rather a beneficial position which helped the country to revive quickly and set the economical and political domination: the Marshall Plan, which seemed to […]
7. Cold War Space Race Analysis
   The objective of this paper is to critically analyze the historic events that escalated as a result of the space race between America and the Soviets during the Cold war.
8. Cold War in the US. May’s ”Homeward Bound” Book
   In my view, domestic containment was a result of the insecurities and ambitions that were the outcome of the war and that is exactly what May argues, that it started inside the homes, “potentially dangerous […]
9. Cold War: Development of the Events
   Churchill accused the Soviet Union of the deployment of global expansion and the attack on the territory of “the free world”.
10. The Cold War: Causes and Consequences
    United States, which sustained the minimal damage during the apocalyptic war, was elevated to the status of the savior of the new world in the west whilst mighty Soviet Union whose winters not only mercilessly […]
11. Cold War History: McCarthyism and Nuclear Weapons Race
    The foreign and the domestic policy by the US was featured by the increased fear of communism, and all the efforts were aimed to struggle with the leftist views, regardless of the fact, that the […]
12. Effects of Cold War in Economic Development
    The increasing demand for the arms by many militaries increased the supply of the weapons and this and subsequent income increase to the manufacturing industries and the need for more and advanced technology to create […]
13. Cold War 1945-1968, and 1973-1993 in USA
    At the suggestion of England and France the main provisions of the Marshall Plan were discussed in 1947 at the Paris meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the United States, England and France. […]
14. The Cold War’s Aftermath in Europe
    The collapse of the Soviet Union, which occurred after the end of the Cold War, led to profound political and economic changes in many countries.
15. The Role of Ideology in the Cold War
    The Cold War was a significant period for the history of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern Bloc, as well as other countries.
16. From World War to Cold War
    The end of World War significantly shifted the balance of power in Europe and globally, leaving a void that both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to fulfill.
17. Oleg Penkovsky, a Double Agent of the Cold War
    The political race of the Soviet Union and the United States began after the end of the Second World War. In 1953, Penkovsky began working in GRU and was sent to work in Turkey as […]
18. Cold War and Its Global Impact
    The competition between the USSR and the USA, the dissolution of the former, and major armed conflicts in Korea and Vietnam are among the events that still impact the world.
19. Civilization in XIX Century and Cold War
    Even though it might appear to be nonsense, the fact of the matter is that there is more truth in the words of this unknown man than we, people living in the twenty-first century, might […]
20. Cold War II: A Big Misunderstanding
    Nevertheless, the posture of Russia and the actions towards former Soviets have been still regarded in terms of the Cold War after the USSR has dissolved and the Cold War was Over.
21. The End of the Cold War
    Analyzing Gorbachevs actions and his incentives in the economy of the USSR, it is possible to conclude that the primary aim of these actions was the destruction of the welfare of the country, the growth […]
22. The Cold War: A New History
    The United States of America and the Soviet Union were the two most powerful nations involved in the war. Another factor that contributed to the end of the cold war was the economic deterioration of […]
23. American Foreign Policy: Cold War Orthodoxy
    The realization of the American citizens that there was a distance between the thoughts of the policy makers and the realities on the battlefield led to an intensified opposition to the war.
24. Firefighting History From Cold War Era to Present
    This essay aims to outline how the social and political events had impacted the lives of firefighters in the times of Cold War and the Civil Rights movement, as well as to explore the current […]
25. The United States in the Cold War Era and Korea
    The following paper will explain and cover the USA’s role in the Cold War era in Korea, and other significant shifts of this period.
26. The Cold War: Did Intelligence Make Any Difference?
    It is through such complexities that the article answers the pertinent questions on the role of the intelligence on the Cold War.
27. Canada Role in the Cold War
    In the article from the Globe and Mail, the main argument is that Canada, as an ally of the United States and the United Nations was inclined to support military activity in Korea during the […]
28. R. Mugabe’s Diplomacy in Zimbabwe During Cold War
    The role of the Soviet during the period was the main factor why the president chose to announce and use the doctrine while he was in office.
29. The Cuban Crisis as the Challenge of the Cold War
    The agreement that the United States made with the Soviet Union was that the government of the United States had to dismantle its nuclear stations in Italy and Turkey.
30. “Berlin Airlift” – Cold War History
    The pathetic living conditions of the people provoked feelings of hatred towards the four forces that were contesting for the ownership of the city.
31. Richard Nixon’s Diplomacy During the Cold War
    The term ‘Cold War’ refers to the persistent state of military and political anxiety that was experienced by countries in the Eastern Bloc, including Russia and Warsaw pact allies; and the Western Bloc countries such […]
32. Hard or Soft Power in the Cold War’s End
    One of the biggest motivations that triggered the involvement of the United States in the cold war was the need to stop the Soviet Union spreading their communist ideologies into other parts of the world.

💡 Simple & Easy Cold War Essay Titles

1. The Soviet Space Program Role in the Cold War
   The paper will begin by providing an overview of the Cold War in order to highlight the conditions that led to the space race between the US and the USSR.
2. The Rapid Ending of the Cold War
   Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union that had been going on ever since the end of the Second World War lasted for decades and involved all of the spheres of the […]
3. The Cold War: Causes of Tension and Role of Media
   The Cold War involved the United States and the Soviet Union due to their different ideologies on ways of managing the economy of a country. The beginning of the Cold War was marked by the […]
4. The Current Tendencies of the Cold War
   Stone estimates the principles of McCarthyism, which identifies the era of the Cold War regime and stems from the conspiracy games of the American senator Joe McCarthy.
5. Cold War’s Impact on the Southeast Asia
   According to a number of studies, the increasing interests and involvement of the western world and the USSR in the region inspired the rise of the Militarism in Vietnam during the War.
6. Cold War Major Aspects and Events
   Conflicts of interest between the United States and the Soviet Union were the main cause for the cold war which replaced the Second World War in the year 1945.
7. Muslims Increase and the Spread of Islam
   Also, the paper will highlight the reasons that have hampered the spread of Islam in the US and in the modern world.
8. John Lewis Gaddis: “The Cold War: A New History”
   For the Soviet Union, the war was a significant devastation and the amount of people and cities lost was enormous. 2 It is obvious that the governments of the two powerful world nations had their […]
9. How U.S. Relations Have Impacted and Affected Pakistani-Indian Relations Post Cold War
   S Pakistan relationship is however strained in that Pakistan has lost its trust for the U.S.it blames the U.S.for the violence that has escalated in the country in the recent past.
10. Cold War Paranoia in “Captain America” and “Batman”
    This form of unexpected events underscores the uncertainty that surrounded the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
11. Was the American Use of the Atomic Bomb Against Japan in 1945 the Final Act of WW2 or the Signal That the Cold War Was About to Begin
    Therefore, to evaluate the reasons that guided the American government in their successful attempt at mass genocide of the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, one must consider not only the political implications behind the actions […]
12. The US Influence on the Middle East in the Post-Cold War Era
    The aim of the essay is to evaluate the impact of the shift from bipolar to the unipolar international system on the Middle East.
13. Cold War Consequences for European Countries
    After the war, the nations faced humongous economic slump, the pecuniary implications of the war took toll on the European Nations.
14. How Did the Cold War Order of the Asia-Pacific Differ From That of Europe?
    The primary difference in the cold war order of the Asia-Pacific and that of Europe was instigated by the reason for security arrangements between the two regions.
15. The Role of the Cold War in Shaping Transatlantic Relations in the Period 1945 to 1970
    It was considered to give a connotation to the international structure throughout the cold war and could work as a dynamic aspect in generating the dynamics of the east-west conflict.
16. Misperceptions and the Cold War
    After the WW II, the America rose to become the most powerful nation in the world, however, the USSR perceived this negatively, which resulted into fierce rivalry between the two nations and the war hang […]
17. The Onset of the Cold War
    The majority of historians adhere to the idea that the period of ideological tension dates back to the period after the World War II whereas other scholars agree that its beginning refers to the end […]
18. Nature of State Sovereignty in the Post-Cold War Era
    To begin with, a discussion will be carried out on the impact of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 and how it played a significant role of reshaping the state of sovereignty especially after the […]
19. The Film Industry During Cold War
    The end of world war two marked the start of the cold war between the Unites States of America and the Soviet Union.
20. Cold War Politics, Culture and Wars
    The Western democracies led by the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a discussion regarding the development of the war and the nature of the post-war settlement.
21. Liberal Optimism for Post Cold-War Period
    Essentially, the liberals believed that the damage caused to the allies in the Cold War would clarify the stance of the liberals.
22. The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy
    Among the situations that called for America’s diplomacy during the Cold War include the deliberate efforts to improve relations with the Soviet Union and ease the hostilities between the U.S.and the Soviet Union.
23. International Relations During the Cold War
    In the face of being associates opposed to the Axis powers, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics differed in relation to opinionated philosophy and the arrangement of the post-conflict world at […]
24. The Cold War: US Foreign Policy
    The paper seeks to explore issues surrounding the US foreign policy in the course of the war, as well as the implications of the war on the United States’ society and culture.
25. The Cold War and Its Influence on the American Society
    After the collapse of the Nazi government, in the year 1945, the US and the Soviet Union became the world superpowers.
26. Origins of the Cold War
    The Cold War was the repercussion of World War II following the emergence of two key supremacy blocs in Europe one of which was subjugated by ideologies of the democracy of the capitalist America.
27. Cold War Era and Threats to American Families
    Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by an atomic bomb marked the end of World War II and the beginning of the cold war.
28. Holocaust and the Cold War
    Cold war refers to the military and political tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union immediately after the World War 2.
29. The Cold War Between the United States and the Soviet Union
    Klaus and Lane state that this war came to be known as the cold war because the two sides: the Soviet Union and the United States never engaged in a physical fight. In conclusion, the […]
30. The Causes of Korea War and How It Epitomized Cold War
    The Korean War was fought in Korean Peninsula between armies from North and those from South Korea. The only and main cause of the Korean War was the invasion of South Korea by North Korea […]
31. The Major Causes of the Cold War Between the Soviet Union and the United States
    According to Leffler in his book “The Specter of Communism” the cold war was a political and economical war between the United States and the Soviet Union, which started few years after the end of […]
32. Reasons of the Cold War Between the Soviet Union and the US
    Furthermore, before the war, the US described the USSR as a reincarnation of the devil but the feeling was mutual; the USSR did not see the US any different from the devil.

🎓 Good Research Topics about Cold War

1. Modern American History From the Second World War to the Cold War
   From Ford’s, Jew hatred and political racism-Hitler was especially, personal had a high regard for the anti-Semitism of Henry Ford-; to the Carnegie’s involvement in creation of a Master Race; the relationship between Rockefeller and […]
2. Physical Fitness and Sport Policy in the Cold War
   Johnson presidential administration shifted the priorities in the sports national policy and vision of sports rivalry in the United States.”Addressing the subject in terms of federal initiatives during the 1960s, this article will argue that […]
3. To What Extent Did the Cold War Play a Role in the 1950s in Catalyzing the Iranian Revolution in 1979?
   S wanted the world to practice free trade while the Soviet union wanted nothing to do with international trade, the power rivalry where each of the nations wanted to dominate the other, another cause of […]
4. To What Extent Did the Cold War Shaped the US Relations With Latin America?
   The reasons are on one hand, the great fear to the Soviet Union catch up and expansion, on the other hand the fear of Cuba bring communism domino effect to the Latin America countries and […]
5. Cold War and a Bipolar World
   It has been emphasized that important milestones like winning of Second World War, and development of the Marshall Plan were possible due to considerable investments in the military power by the US during the cold […]
6. United States and Soviet Union Relationship Throughout the Cold War
   Soon after the end of the Second World War, the signs of tensions and mistrust reappeared even though the two nations had been allies during the war and the US had even supplied Russia with […]
7. The Cold War and the Fifties
   Studies point out that in 1945, the west, under President Truman strongly reacted to the policies set by Stalin in Poland by stopping all its support to the Soviet Union and expressing massive misgivings about […]
8. Coverage of the Cold War in Life Magazine: The Bomb That Never Exploded
   The attitude to the atomic bomb and its role in the Cold War sufficiently changed with the course of time, and this change is reflected, in particular, in the coverage of Cold War events by […]
9. The Cold War: Global Prosperity and Human Rights
   The Cold War was one of the most famous and crucially important conflicts between the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
10. The Cold War Between the Union Soviet Socialist Republic and the United States of America
    The Americans believed in the principles of democracy and free enterprise while the Russians believed that the whole world must convert to a system of governance according to the teachings of Karl Marx and Lenin.
11. Importance of Berlin in Cold War
    The main causes were; Economic: The United States was interested in supporting free trade in the whole World but The Soviet Union did not show any interest in this venture as it feared if it […]
12. The Cold War and Its Influence on Europe
    Control of Europe was at the centre of the cold war because communists controlled Eastern Europe and wanted to extent their influence to Western Europe as well.

❓ Cold War Essay Questions

1. How Did the Cold War Transform American Foreign Policy?
2. What Are the Main Origins of the Cold War, and Why?
3. What Role Did Sport Play During the Cold War?
4. How Did the Cold War Begin and What Weapons Were Used to Fight This War?
5. How Did Cold War Affect Popular Culture?
6. What Factors Influenced the Origins of the Cold War?
7. What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?
8. Why Was the Cold War Called the Cold War?
9. How Did the Cold War Shape the American Economy, Society, and Politics?
10. How Did the Berlin Crisis Affect the Cold War?
11. What Role Did Sport Play During the Cold War?
12. What Were the Main Reasons for the Beginning of the Cold War Between the USA and the Ussr?
13. What Were the Key Elements of the Policy of Deterrence and Containment During the Cold War?
14. How and Why Did the Cold War End?
15. Why Did the Cold War in Europe and Asia Get More Serious?
16. Did the Cold War Affect International Relations?
17. Why Was Ronald Reagan Not Responsible for Ending the Cold War?
18. Why Did the Cold War End, and What Roles Did Hard and Soft Power Play?
19. Why Was the Cuban Missile Crisis a Turning Point in Cold War Relations?
20. Why Did the Liberal World System Win the Cold War?
21. Why Did the Detente Didn’t End the Cold War?
22. What Impact Did World War II and the Cold War Have On the Development of Science in the 20th Century?
23. Why Did the United States Get Involved in the War in Korea, and in What Sense Was It an Outgrowth of the Cold War?
24. What Were Americans Fears During the Cold War?
25. What Was the Domino Theory During the Cold War?
26. What Was the Cold War, and How Did It Start?
27. Did Ronald Reagan End the Cold War?
28. Why Did the Cold War Never Become Hot?
29. What Caused the Clash Between Communism and Capitalism During the Cold War?
30. How Did the Cold War Affect Domestic Policy and American Society?