Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War | Netflix documentary charts path from Oppenheimer to Zelenskyy

New Netflix documentary series Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, explores the origins of the conflict between the east and west following the Second World War, from the development of the atomic bomb to the modern day with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The nine part series follows the 2021 Netflix Turning Point documentary, 9/11 and the War on Terror, which explored the global aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Centre.

Netflix has added the new series to its library a day after Cillian Murphy won an Oscar for his role as Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic, and the documentary provides a longer view of the ‘American Prometheus’s’ impact on the second half of the 20th century and into the modern day.

What is Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War about?

The series is a history of the Cold War and its aftermath with a focus on the creation and spread of nuclear weapons and the impact of the nuclear threat on the global order.

Turning Point goes beyond the breakup of the USSR and traditional ‘endpoint’ of the Cold War, and delves into the divisions that continue to exist between Russia and the West up to the modern day, with an episode which focuses on Putin’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2022.

This is the episode guide for the series with the official Netflix synopsis

1 - The Sun Came up Tremendous

During World War II, the US begins to work on top-secret project that results in the atomic bombings on Japan - and a global conflict lasting decades.

2 - Poisoning the Soil

As communism takes off in Russia and China, Joseph Stalin begins his ruthless reign and the Soviet Union enters an era of terror.

3 - Institutional Insanity

Preparing for war against the Soviet Union, the US starts to test thermonuclear weapons. The CIA forms and interferes with global politics.

4 - The Wall

The US and Soviet Union get caught in a nuclear arms race. A wall divides Berlin. John F. Kennedy looks for a peaceful solution after a crisis in Cuba.

5 - War Games

With both sides planning for the worst-case scenario, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev find common ground. Tragedy strikes after a nuclear disaster.

6 - Empire is Untenable

The USSR’s grasp on Eastern Europe weakens as the Berlin Wall comes down and the Communist Party mounts a coup against a prominent Soviet Union leader.

7 - The End of History

A new Russian leader emerges, and the republics seek independence. As the Soviet Union dissolves, several powers sign a landmark treaty on nuclear arms.

8 - Moscow will Not Be Silent

Russia struggles to find a national identity as Vladimir Putin comes to power. With the Cold War in the rearview, a war on terror begins.

9 - We Are Not Dead Yet

Russia invades Georgia and Ukraine, putting Putin under intense scrutiny. While disinformation thrives, threats of nuclear war persist.