Sarah Paine – Why Russia Lost the Cold War

This is the final episode of the Sarah Paine lecture series, and it’s probably my favorite one. Sarah gives a “tour of the arguments” on what ultimately led to the Soviet Union’s collapse, diving into the role of the US, the Sino-Soviet border conflict, the oil bust, ethnic rebellions and even the Roman Catholic Church. As she points out, this is all particularly interesting as we find ourselves potentially at the beginning of another Cold War.

Courtesy of Dwarkesh Patel on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗

More History & War Documentaries

Disney's FastPass: A Complicated History2021•1h 42m•HD•★9.2The Dyatlov Pass Case2021•41m•HD•★9.1The Vanishing of Flight 3702022•39m•HD•★9.1The Battle of Chile1975•1h 36m•HD•★8.9Hollywood VS. History: The Conjuring | Bathsheba: Search for Evil 1012026•46m•4K•★7.7Secrets of Ancient Life: Tributes to the Gods | Smithsonian Channel2022•18m•4K•★7.7Green Colonialism: Conservation vs Indigenous Peoples2026•1h 16m•HD•★8.1Viking Age Capital of Denmark2019•31m•HD•★8.0The Bloody Rise and Fall of Europe's Most Dangerous Dictators2025•45m•HD•★8.0Medieval Mega-Structures: The Genius Behind The World’s Greatest Castles2026•48m•HD•★7.9William Marshall: The Greatest Medieval Knight The World Forgot About2025•52m•HD•★7.8Archeologists Rebuild The Most Powerful Medieval Fortresses That Changed Civilization2026•2h 24m•HD•★7.7