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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

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

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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