logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2018
38m 38s

The Cold War - An Ideological War | 1

Wondery
About this episode

For nearly 50 years, the United States and Soviet Union waged a global war of ideas fueled by politics, intrigue, and nuclear weapons. But how did the polarized ideologies of these two global powers threaten the existence of the entire world?

This is Episode 1 of a six-part series on the Cold War. We’ll discover how the United States’ suspicion of communism not only led to a global stand-off, but threatened the freedom and democracy Americans so cherished at home.

For more information on the subjects and themes discussed in the episode, see the book “Global Cold War,” by Odd Arne Wested. It’s an amazing dissection of the ideologies that dominated the Cold War. See also, “Many Are the Crimes,” by Ellen Schrecker, for an in-depth discussion of McCarthyism and the real world effects of the Red Scare.

For more info about Bentley Glass, the geneticist under investigation at the beginning of the article, see Audra Wolfe’s article, The Organization Man and the Archive: A Look at the Bentley Glass Papers. Wolfe’s book, “Competing with the Soviets,” was also crucial to our understanding of the Cold War.


Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Yesterday
Evolution on Trial | A Clash of Giants | 1
In 1925, the famous politician and presidential contender William Jennings Bryan returned to the limelight to lead a new crusade against the teaching of evolution. With Bryan’s support, Tennessee became the first state to ban the teaching of evolution in public schools.The Americ ... Show More
38m 28s
Jul 2
Typhoid Mary | Cook, Carrier, Captive | 3
In 1906, a New York health department investigation into an outbreak of typhoid fever led to the discovery that a cook, Mary Mallon, was an unsuspecting ""healthy carrier"" of the deadly bacteria. This discovery forever altered Mallon’s life, thrusting her into a national spotlig ... Show More
41m 2s
Jun 25
Typhoid Mary | Destroying Angel | 2
After spending two years in forced isolation on a remote island in the East River, Mary Mallon fought back, insisting that she posed no danger to the public and city officials had overstepped their authority in keeping her against her will. She finally managed to secure her freed ... Show More
34m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
Russia & USA: The 100-Year Cold War
The Cold War was defined by the antagonism between two world superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. They relied on proxy wars, espionage, disinformation, assassinations and sabotage to undermine one another as part of a greater ideological battle between Western dem ... Show More
25m 50s
Jan 2020
The Cold War: Prelude To The Present
The Cold War may be over, but the tension between Russia and the West remains. Join Bill Whittle as he narrates this compelling series about two competing ideologies battling for global supremacy in the ashes of World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices ... Show More
1m 10s
Jun 2021
Sean McMeekin, "Stalin's War: A New History of World War II" (Basic Books, 2021)
World War II endures in the popular imagination as a heroic struggle between good and evil, with villainous Hitler driving its events. But Hitler was not in power when the conflict erupted in Asia—and he was certainly dead before it ended. His armies did not fight in multiple the ... Show More
1h 16m
Jan 2020
An Iron Curtain | Part 1
World War III — the Apocalypse that never was — started in the same place that World War II in Europe had ended: Berlin. “An Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent,” said Winston Churchill, and that curtain ran right through the heart of Berlin. One the Eastern side, the ... Show More
42m 8s
Mar 2024
Ronald Meets the Donald
President Reagan knew a detent with the Soviet Union wouldn’t win the Cold War. If we take off the gloves and force Soviet communism to compete with American democracy, he thought, the U.S. will prevail. In a phrase: “We win, they lose.” He was right. The U.S. won. The Soviet Uni ... Show More
1h 6m
Apr 2023
Russian Civil War with Antony Beevor
*Content Warning - This episode contains references to rape and suicide* The Russian Civil War was a brutal episode in the rise of Bolshevik Russia. Taking place between 1917 and 1922 (after the perhaps better known, Russian Revolution) it pitted the Communist Red Army, led by Vl ... Show More
28m 40s
Apr 2021
Stalin: the real victor of WW2
Sean McMeekin discusses his revisionist new history of the Second World War, which places Josef Stalin at the centre of the conflict Historian Sean McMeekin discusses his revisionist new history of the Second World War, which places Josef Stalin at the centre of the conflict. He ... Show More
1 h