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Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union blocked all water, land, and rail routes into Berlin, hoping to force the West to leave. However, Western countries cooperated to carry out the Berlin airlift, in which supplies would be imported to Berlin through the air. At one point in time, a cargo plane was landing or taking off every 30 seconds. The Soviet Union removed the block in May of 1949. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO for short, was created. It was composed of the United States, Canada, and most of the Western European countries. NATO was formed to prevent the power of the Soviet Union from increasing. -
Korean War
After WWII, the Allies controlled the Korean Peninsula, which was split into two parts. The Northern part was taken by the Soviet Union, and a communist government was established. The Southern part was taken by the United States, where no communist regime was created. In 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea. The U.S. and Britain aided South Korea, driving the North Koreans nearly to the Chinese border. Communist China then helped the North Koreans. In 1953, both sides agreed to an armistice. -
Vietnam War
Vietnam was divided into a northern and southern part after WWII. The North was ruled by communists and the South was ruled by an anti-communist regime. A revolution began in the South and the United States sent aid to the government. Northern Vietnam aided the rebels in the hopes of uniting Vietnam. The war dragged on for over a decade. -
Warsaw Pact
In response to the formation of NATO, the Warsaw Pact was formed. The Warsaw Pact was an alliance of communist countries, including the Soviet Union. -
Sputnik Crisis
In October of 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. That caused tensions in the U.S., which had believed themselves to be superior to the Soviet Union in technology. The U.S. then created the National Aeronautics and Space Association, otherwise known as NASA, in 1958. -
U-2 Incident
On May 1st, the Soviet Union shot down a reconnaissance plane that belonged to the United States. The Soviets claimed that the pilot had admitted to aiming to steal Soviet secrets, which the U.S. denied. Khrushchev refused to attend talk between nations unless the U.S. stopped all flights above Soviet territory, apologized, and punished those responsible. The U.S. president only agreed to cease flights, causing the talk to be postponed. The imprisoned pilot was later exchanged for a Soviet spy. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis began when the United States found out that multiple nuclear missiles had been installed in Cuba. That would give the missiles range enough to reach most of the United States. The U.S. immediately confronted the Soviet Union about the missiles. The Soviet Union stated that they were there to prevent American nuclear attacks. After a tense two weeks, the Soviet Union removed the missiles and the U.S. agreed not to attack Cuba. -
Strategic Arms Limitation Talk
The first Strategic Arms Limitation Talk, nicknamed SALT I, took place in 1969. In it, the United States and the Soviet Union both signed the agreement. The agreement limited the number of nuclear weapons each side could possess. SALT I soon lead to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM Treaty, which forbade the development of weaponry that could shoot down nuclear weapons. That left both sides vulnerable, something necessary to deterrence. Later, a second SALT talk was held. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Hungary opened its borders with Austria, allowing for free travel. German citizens flooded into West Germany through the now open border. Realizing the futility of trying to stop them, the government opened the gates of the Berlin Wall. Many citizens were overjoyed, and immediately began to tear down the wall. The Berlin Wall had been the symbol of Soviet repression and it was finally gone. West and East Germany united within a year.
