After reading this chapter students should be able to understand:

• How different perspectives use the levels of analysis to make arguments about the causes of the beginning, escalation, and de-escalation of the Cold War
• What historical events each perspective argues are most important for explaining key changes during the Cold War
• How containment and deterrence work
• What role violent conflict and the threat of violence played in the Cold War
• How nuclear weapons changed the calculations of the United States and the Soviet Union
• How the different perspectives views the Cuban Missile Crisis