The book, intended for senior high school students, is one of a series concerned with problems of world order. The bipolar system (domination of the international system through maintenance of a balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union) is described and defined by presenting case studies of the Hungarian rebellion in 1956, the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, and the Arab-Israeli War in 1973. For each crisis the history is described, the current situation is presented, and the effects on and stages of development in the bipolar system are appraised. The study guides at the end of each chapter are designed to help the student examine each case and evaluate the system. The booklet also suggests issues and topics for further exploration and identifies other cases to examine. The final chapters postulate changes in the balance of power in the future and possible solutions for obtaining world order. Key concepts are defined in a glossary. (CK)