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The Rest Is History · June 15, 2025 · 55m

The Cold War: A World Divided

The Rest Is History

The Cold War as ideological, military, and cultural contest. Sandbrook examines how the US-Soviet rivalry shaped every aspect of the 20th century — from space exploration to proxy wars to popular culture.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

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The nuclear arms race is the hedonic treadmill applied to security: each side's new weapon made it feel safer briefly, then the other side matched it, restoring the original insecurity.

Highlights

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Ideological competition can drive extraordinary achievement and extraordinary destruction simultaneously
The Cold War produced the space program, the internet, and unprecedented scientific investment — and also proxy wars that killed millions, nuclear proliferation, and authoritarian alliances.
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