The Cold War Revisited

A History Institute for Teachers

Sponsored by the Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education

A division of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

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On May 2–3, 1998, FPRI’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education sponsored a weekend-long history institute on “The Cold War Revisited.” The Cold War has always been the subject of intense debate— was it necessary, was it just, why did it happen, and how did it end— and has been a challenging topic for teachers. Over 40 teachers from 17 states and two foreign countries met at this History Institute to hear five experts present the best and latest thinking about the Cold War and its lessons. Now is a particularly exciting time to be taking stock of this major issue of American and world history. New evidence both from the former Soviet Union and the West is overturning received opinions. We now know more than we did ten years ago, but less than we will know in the future.

Topics and Speakers

Conference Report

The Cold War Revisited (published as Footnotes, Vol. 5 No. 6, September 1998)
By David Gress, rapporteur

Keynote Address

The New Cold War History (published as Footnotes, Vol. 5 No. 5, June 1998)
By John Lewis Gaddis

Classroom Lessons

Lesson 1. Historiography: Rethinking Cold War History (38K Microsoft Word document)
Timothy L. Cullen
Lesson 2. Categories of Cold War Historiography (44K Microsoft Word document)
Timothy L. Cullen
Lesson 3. The Origins of the Cold War (33K Microsoft Word document)
Timothy L. Cullen