The Cold War sheds a new light on the clandestine wars fought between the US and the Soviet Union during a historic conflict whose impact can still be felt today, perhaps now more than ever. This ambitious documentary one-hour takes us across the world in the turbulent 50s, 60s and 70s: an era of spies, secrets and lies ...

Thanks to recently disclosed images and files from the CIA and Russia's KGB, and with access to rare archieve footage, we reveal a clearer picture of what was happening behind the scenes. From the day to day operations of the East German secret police, the Stasi, to, on the other side of the Iron Curtain, the United States and the rise "McCarthyism" we uncover almost half a century of paranoia and state surveillance. From the unbelievable account of how Ronald Reagan, an actor who would later become president, served as a spy for the FBI in Hollywood, to CIA plans to overthrow various third-world regimes including Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh, and CIA and US military campaigns to eliminate communists in South Vietnam, this was an age in which World War III seemed like it could happen tomorrow.

We conclude with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the shocking story of the spy who provided U.S. intelligence on Russian Missile Placement Oleg Penkovsky. Through recently gathered footage, we reveal the hidden struggle that occurred during the Cold War between the super powers.

From the series A Century on Film.