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Postwar occupation and division of Germany
The division into East and West Germany mirrored the broader geopolitical split between the communist Eastern bloc and the capitalist Western bloc. After the Potsdam conference, Germany was divided into four occupied zones: Great Britain in the northwest, France in the southwest, the United States in the south and the Soviet Union in the east. Berlin, the capital city situated in Soviet territory, was also divided into four occupied zones. -
Greek Civil War
Following World War II, Greece descended into a civil war between communist insurgents and government forces supported by the United States and United Kingdom. Lasting from 1946 to 1949, the conflict left a deep imprint on Greek society, resulting in significant casualties and political polarization. The communist defeat marked the end of the Greek left’s armed resistance and the consolidation of power by conservative forces, shaping Greece’s political landscape for decades to come. -
Formation of the Eastern bloc
After World War II, the Soviet Union consolidated its control over Eastern and Central Europe, forming the Eastern bloc. This block was a coalition of communist states including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and later East Germany. This marked the beginning of the Cold War rivalry between the Soviet-led Eastern bloc and the Western bloc, led by the United States and its NATO allies. -
Enactment of Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, named after U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, was a massive economic aid program aimed at rebuilding Western Europe after World War II. Through grants, loans, and investments, the United States injected billions of dollars into European economies. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-torn regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, improve European prosperity and prevent the spread of communism. -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
In response to Western powers' efforts to reform the currency in Berlin, the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin, cutting off all land and water access. In a remarkable display of resolve and solidarity, the Western Allies launched the Berlin Airlift. They supplied West Berlin with food, fuel, and other essentials by air for over a year, thwarting Soviet attempts to isolate the city and demonstrating the commitment to defending freedom in the face of communist aggression. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Party emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War, establishing the People's Republic of China and ending decades of nationalist rule under the Kuomintang. The revolution transformed China into a communist state, aligning it with the Soviet Union and significantly altering the geopolitical landscape of Asia. This also leads to the establishment of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under nationalist control. -
Korean War
The Korean War erupted when North Korean forces, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, leading to a United Nations intervention led by the United States to support South Korea. The conflict ended in a stalemate with an armistice agreement, but no formal peace treaty. This left the Korean Peninsula divided along the 38th parallel and establishing a tense and heavily fortified demilitarized zone. -
Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro's movement toppled the U.S.-backed regime of Fulgencio Batista, leading to the establishment of a communist government in Cuba. The revolution severed Cuba's ties with the United States, sparking decades of Cold War hostility, including the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The revolution began with a failed assault on Cuban military barracks on 1953, but by the end of 1958, the guerrilla revolutionaries in Castro's 26th of July Movement had gained the upper hand. -
Overthrow of the Guatemalan government
In 1954, the CIA orchestrated a coup to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Jacobo Árbenz in Guatemala. The coup was prompted by concerns over Árbenz’s land reforms and perceived ties to communism. The 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état (Golpe de Estado en Guatemala de 1954) deposed the democratically elected Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz and marked the end of the Guatemalan Revolution. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a protracted conflict between North Vietnam. It was supported by communist allies such as the Soviet Union and China, and South Vietnam, backed by the United States and its anti-communist allies. The war resulted in massive loss of life and resources, destabilizing the region and leading to the eventual unification of Vietnam under communist rule, despite the heavy human and economic toll on all sides. -
Building of the Berlin Wall
The East German government, with Soviet approval, erected the Berlin Wall overnight, physically dividing the city and symbolizing the broader division between communist Eastern Europe and the democratic West. The wall became a stark reminder of the limitations on freedom under communist rule. The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, during the Peaceful Revolution, marked the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the figurative Iron Curtain. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war when the United States discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy imposed a naval blockade on Cuba. He demanded the removal of the missiles, while behind-the-scenes negotiations averted a catastrophic confrontation, leading to a Soviet pledge to withdraw the missiles in exchange for a U.S. commitment not to invade Cuba and a secret agreement to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. -
Soviet War in Afghanistan
The Soviet Union intervened militarily in Afghanistan in December 1979, aiming to prop up a communist government facing a growing insurgency. The Soviet-Afghan War lasted nearly a decade and became a quagmire for the Soviet Union, leading to heavy casualties and economic strain. It fueled the rise of Islamist militancy and contributing to the eventual collapse of the Soviet empire. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
Chinese government forces violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, resulting in numerous casualties and widespread condemnation. The massacre lead to international sanctions and a tightening of authoritarian control in China. The People's Liberation Army cracked down on a student protest on the square that had the stated purpose of calling for political liberalization and greater respect for human rights. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The East German government announced the opening of the Berlin Wall, allowing East Berliners to freely cross into West Berlin for the first time in nearly three decades. The fall of the wall symbolized the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe, the reunification of Germany, and the collapse of the Soviet Union's influence, marking a turning point in the Cold War. The press conference on 9 November 1989 by Günter Schabowski and other East German officials led to the fall of the Wall. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the end of decades of communist rule and the Cold War era. The collapse of the Soviet state led to the emergence of independent nations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Gorbachev's decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union began a slow process of democratization that eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.