It’s finally summer and for at least some of us that means it’s a chance to get away. Why not jump start your adventures with a Cold War roadtrip? From missile sites and atomic tourism to the hippie trail, here are five ideas, three in the United States and two abroad. The Minuteman Missile National […]

The post It’s Time For A Cold War Roadtrip: Let’s Go first appeared on Cold War Studies.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by North America will soon be just a fleeting memory, but concrete reminders of the event will remain, dotting the landscapes of  Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Stadiums In an interesting factoid, no new stadiums were built specifically for the 2026 games. Instead, the 2026 tournament relied […]

The post Chile: Stadium as Prison first appeared on Cold War Studies.

1962 was one of the most dangerous years of the Cold War, and espionage was central to almost every major international crisis. Intelligence agencies were not simply gathering information—they were shaping policy, conducting sabotage, running double agents, stealing technology, and preparing for nuclear war. Here are some of the year’s major events. The Cuban Missile […]

The post Cold War Spying Year by Year: 1962 first appeared on Cold War Studies.

The story of Argentina 1978 is not simply a soccer story. It’s also a political story about how authoritarian governments use sports to shape international opinion, project legitimacy, and distract from uncomfortable realities. From 1976 to 1983, Argentina was ruled by a military junta led by Jorge Rafael Videla. During this period, known as the […]

The post The Secret World Cup: Argentina 1978 first appeared on Cold War Studies.

I recently came across a photograph of children in the 1950s wearing cowboy hats and carrying toy six-shooters. It reminded me that, for millions of Americans, Western heroes like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and The Lone Ranger were once as familiar as superheroes are now. Today, streaming and cable ratings underscore the popularity […]

The post The Cold War on the Frontier: How Early Cold War Westerns Taught and Questioned American Values first appeared on Cold War Studies.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off soon with a battle between two Group A contenders, Mexico and South Africa. Mexico, a host in 2026,  has a deep Cold War connection to FIFA, having hosted two World Cups during the Cold War period, 1970 and 1986. In fact, the 1970 games go down in history. […]

The post South Africa, Mexico, and the Changing World Cup first appeared on Cold War Studies.

It’s less than two weeks until the first game of the 2026 World Cup, a global sports extravaganza. And oh, how things have changed. Before the 1950s, soccer tournaments were locally financed. There were sponsors and advertisers, but the events were only lightly commercialized. Now, sponsorships are central. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected […]

The post The Consumerist World Cup: From National Event to Global Media Spectacle first appeared on Cold War Studies.

In 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower cautioned against the rise of a “military-industrial complex”—a permanent fusion of military power, industry, and political influence born out of the Cold War. What began as a response to superpower rivalry has since evolved into a far more diffuse system shaping how conflicts are fought today. Eight films trace that […]

The post Eisenhower’s Warning in 8 Films: From the Cold War to Modern Conflict first appeared on Cold War Studies.

Recent airstrikes (reputedly Israeli) have caused damage to several, historically significant, UNESCO-listed sites in Isfahan, Iran, including the Shah Mosque (Imam Mosque), located at the edge of Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The Ali Qapu Palace also sustained damage, as did the Chehel Sotoun Palace, Rakeb-Khaneh pavilion, Ashraf Hall, and the Grand Bazaar. The blasts caused tiles […]

The post War and Cultural Heritage: Why Damage in Isfahan Matters first appeared on Cold War Studies.

Venezuela’s Role in World War II (1939–1945)  Venezuela remained officially neutral for the bulk of World War II, focused on protecting its vital oil industry and balancing diplomatic pressure from both the Axis and Allied powers. The country officially declared war on the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)  in February 1945, but its military […]

The post Venezuela: Politics, Oil, Cuba, Drugs & Power — Timeline with Films first appeared on Cold War Studies.