INTRODUCTION: HOW HOT WAS COLD?
Throughout the forty-five years of the Cold War, the leaders of the democratic West and Communist East were in the brink of nuclear destruction as each region made an attempt to spread their form of government around the world. Even though both countries knew they couldn’t fight each other without causing nuclear devastation, they sill competed in other ways to demonstrate their superiority. In years prior to 1958, major events like the outbreak of war in Korea, a change in Russian leadership, the establishment of pacts in the Middle East, revolution in Hungary, and the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik all contributed to the escalation of worldwide tension. Throughout 1958, the strain among countries continued to rise due to developments in the heart of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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