Ever wished you had an easy and FUN way to learn about Cold War History and Politics? Are you a student? A history buff? An erudite conversationalist? Do you want to WOW your friends and colleagues with your Cold War expertise?
Presented by political scientist Lisa Reynolds Wolfe, the creator of the Cold War Studies Blog, the podcasts are an easy and enjoyable way to learn the facts and make them stick.

The first episode discusses the causes of the Cold War.

Here are some highlights:
The beginnings of the competition between the United States and Soviet Russia.
1917, the Russian Revolution, Lenin, Marxism, and the 'new' Soviet.
1919, the Versailles Peace Conference, and the creation of Eastern European 'buffer' states.
Lenin dies, Stalin takes over.
Hitler invades Poland marking the beginning of World War II.
American postwar objectives, Bretton Woods, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Red Army begins its sweep over Eastern Europe.
The Big Three meet at Yalta to shape the postwar world; the Declaration of Liberated Europe.
Roosevelt dies; Truman becomes president and takes a hard line toward the Soviets.
Stalin's Doctrine and the Soviet postwar approach; the wartime destruction in Russia.
America's perception of security.
Article 51 of the UN Charter; the founding of the United Nations.
The problem of Germany (and Poland).
Potsdam Conference.
The Atomic Bomb obliterates Hiroshima; the Arms Race begins.
Peace negotiations begin between Japan and the United States.
Soviet Russia and the United States emerge from World War II.

Overall, in this podcast series, you’ll learn how the events and happenings of the first half of the 20th century influenced the half century confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that still shapes our lives today. You’ll learn the language that you need to know to discuss Cold War History and Politics knowledgeably and intelligently. You’ll learn about the facts, concepts, and occurrences that have influenced our 21st century world.

About the presenter:
Widely published, Lisa Reynolds Wolfe holds a Ph.D. in Politics from New York University and a Master of Science in Policy Analysis and Public Management from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Areas of particular interest and expertise include Cold War Studies, sustainable development, heritage, and the environment. Lisa's writings on Cuba and Iran, and the Cold War are widely quoted.