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Russian Revolution
The Russian people revolted because they were tired of the war, tired of starving and tired of their Tsar, Nicholas II. Nicholas II was overthrown and although Alexander Kerensky tried bringing democracy to Russia, it was short lived. Instead, Vladimir Lenin brought Communism; from that point on tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S. started rising. -
Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima / Nagasaki
The bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki upset the Soviet Union because the use of the atomic bomb had destroyed the balance and now the US was more superior than the Soviet Union. Future Warfare would forever change die to the fact that countries would want to stay in balance with other countries and produce more and more atomic bombs and us them as threats. Countries would try not to be in conflicts with other countries because they were scared of the atomic bomb. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was a conference where the victorious allied powers discussed the control of Germany, postwar boundaries, winning the war with Japan and securing a lasting peace in Europe. Tensions rose because Russian dictator, Joseph Stalin, was determined to dominate all of Europe and impose Communism on its nations whereas President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister,Winston Churchill, wanted political freedom and democratic governments throughout postwar Europe. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a border where it separated the Soviet Union from Western Europe. The Soviet Union was all Communist while western Europe wasn't. -
Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was a created because of the Marshall Plan. While the Marshall Plan was created to stop the spread of communism, the Molotov Plan was made to encourage communism. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a foreign policy that would protect Greece and Turkey and protect their freedom and anti-communism. -
The Alger Hiss Case
Alger Hiss was a state department worker for the US who got accused of being a spy for the Soviet Union by Whittaker Chambers, an ex-communist. This case caused Americans to fear communism and that they were going to lose the cold war. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a massive economic assistance for Europe because the US was afraid that Europeans would turn to communism as an alternative to starvation and death.The US donated food, machinery, technical support, construction equipment and coal. The US offered money to countries but were rejected by the Soviet Union who turned Czechoslovakia into a communist country while the Marshall Plan was being debated. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was a retaliation strategy that Stalin used to cut off all food and supplies to Berlin. The reason for was because the US introduced a new aid for recovery, the Deutschmark. Stalin saw that as an American Imperialist move and decided to do what he did. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a US strategy to resupply West Berlin with food and supplies, since Stalin blockaded every exit in Berlin. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO was a military alliance between several European and North American states. -
Soviet Bomb Test
After a successful test in Kazakhstan, the Soviet Union has its first Nuclear Bomb. The US didn't think they would develop one in such little time. The Soviet Union only did it with the help of Klaus Fuchs, a physicist who helped the US build its first Nuclear Bomb and then gave the blueprints to the Soviet Union. -
Hollywood 10
The Hollywood 10 were actors who were questioned by the House of Un-American Activities Committee. They refused to answer any questions asked and they were convicted of contempt and sent to prison. -
Korean War
The Korean War was against communism. President Truman previously lost China to communism and following WWII, there was a political issue in Korea. While both the Soviet Union and United States wanted Korea under their arm, a quick resolution was to divide Korea at the 38th Parallel. North Korea consisted of a communist ruled country whereas the South was a pro-western government influenced by the US. -
Rosenberg Trial
The Rosenbergs, Ethel and Julius, were a married couple who were in connection with a plot to pass US bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. They were sentenced to death row even though they were offered a deal in which their death row sentence would be commuted if they admitted that they were guilty. They refused the offer and died by electric chair. -
Army - McCarthy Hearings
Joseph McCarthy was a US Senator who exposed communists working in the US State Department. He made up a lot of allegations and finally got exposed at the Army-McCarthy Hearings -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was a war fought between the French and Ho Chi Minh's forces. The Viet Minh were victorious which meant Vietnam was free from French influence. -
Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference was an international peace conference that was meant to resolve issues from the Korean War. At this conference, Vietnam was divided at the 17th Parallel. North Vietnam was communist ruled while the South was more western based rule. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a retaliation of the Soviet Union. Because the US made NATO, the USSR had to counterbalance so they formed an alliance (Warsaw Pact) with Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and more. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution was a revolt against the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet -imposed policies. Nagy tried to push the Hungarian Revolution by abolishing the one-party rule and then withdrew from the Warsaw Pact -
U2 Incident
The U-2 incident occurred during the Cold War on 1 May 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the premiership of Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down while in Soviet airspace. -
Bay Of Pigs Invasion
A group of 1,500 Cuban exiles launched an invasion of Cuba from the sea in the Bay of Pigs. The Cuban exiles were trained and financed by the CIA with the goal to overthrow Fidel Castro and his revolution. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was part of the Iron Curtain which divided Berlin into East and West Berlin. The wall was a concrete barrier which was guarded and divided by the USSR from a successful US influenced West Berlin. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis was when the Soviet Union deployed missiles to Cuba. The US feared that because it was too close to Florida and they confronted the Soviet Union and it was the closest the Cold War came to a hot war. -
Assassination of JFK
While riding a presidential motorcade with his wife, Texas Governor and more in Dallas, Texas, JFK was fatally sniped by a former US Marine Lee Harvey Oswald -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution authorized president Johnson to, "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent any further aggression." -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was an American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War. It was intended to put military pressure on North Vietnam. -
Tet Offensive
A North Vietnamese planned an attack on South Vietnam that caught the US Army off guard. Their plan was to take every major southern city. -
Assassination of MLK
MLK Jr. was a civil right leader who was fatally shot in a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. MLK was the founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He led the civil rights movement and motivated followers with speeches and nonviolent protests. -
Assassination of RFK
Shortly after winning the California presidential primaries in the election, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
5,000 tanks invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the brief period of liberalization in the communist country ( known as Prague Spring ). -
Riots of the Democratic Convention
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Vietnam War protesters met with the Chicago Police Department in the streets while trying to disrupt the convention. -
Election of NIxon
Former Vice President Richard Nixon won the US presidential election over Democratic Vice President Hubert Humphrey. -
Kent State Shooting
Four of Kent State University students were killed and nine were injured. It was a mass protest against the Vietnam War and members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire. -
Nixon Visits China
Richard Nixon made a visit to China which was a step forward to normalize the relations with the communist People's Republic of China. It was the beginning to a slow process of re-establishing diplomatic relations between the US and China. -
Ceasefire of Vietnam
The US and North Vietnam were on temporary hold until the peace of honor. The conditions were to have US Troops removed. No provision for prisoners of war, North Vietnam can leave their troops in South Vietnam and North Vietnam could resume war. -
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of the capital of South Vietnam Saigon. It was captured by the Viet Cong and marked the end of the Vietnam War and start of reunification of Vietnam. -
Reagan Elected
American politician and actor Reagan was elected as President in 1981. Prior to election, he was Governor of California. -
SDI Announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative was a US strategic defense system against potential nuclear attacks. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
The Geneva Conference was a turning point due to the fact that Reagan and Gorbachev established a long term relationship. They discussed bringing the nuclear arms race under control. -
'Tear Down This Wall' Speech
Speech made by US President Ronald Reagan, calling for the leader of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which divided West and East Berlin. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Cold War and East Berlin's Communist Party announced to change the city's relations with the West.
