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Yalta Conference (1945)
The Yalta Conference was a meeting held in February 1945 between President Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. This is where they planed their strategy for winning the war and what the others wanted in return. In the end the three agreed that the soviets would enter the war with Japan within three months of Germany’s surrender. -
Berlin Declaration
The commanders of the Western Armies met for the first time when Germany surrendered in Berlin. All four were present. The Berlin Declaration stated that Germany had surrendered to the four governments. The four actually split Berlin into 4 pieces but this didn't last long because Stalin and Russian starting taking more control later. -
Potsdam Conference
Three big leaders, Churchill, Stalin and Truman from Britain, Russian and the US respectfully, met in Germany in a town called Potsdam. The biggest question was how to settle the borders in European countries like Germany, but also Poland and other places. Truman bragged about detonating the atom bomb. The three never met again. -
North Vietnam declares independence
Ho Chin Minh declared independence for Vietnam on the same day that Japan surrendered.Even thought there was a democratic republic of Vietnam the French still controlled south Vietnam and had influences there. Ho Chin said that all men are created equal much like the US constitution. -
Churchihill's Iron Curtain Speech
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Churchill gave a speech regarding the Soviet Union and their quest for power which was similar to the way Germany had wanted power in World War 2. The Iron Curtain was the political wall of power that the Soviets created to keep expanding their power. The Russians thought Churchill was racist. -
Marshall Plan
SOURCEThis was an idea of America to aid Europe by giving them money to rebuild after World War 2. The United States probably would not have given financial aid if the Soviets were going to receive any gain. The US and Soviets were not able to have trust with each other. The Soviets were worried about sharing their secrets too This money became a part of US foreign financial aid. -
Containment Policy
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An article appeared in the publication in the Foreign Affairs magazine signed anonymously by an X who was really George Kennan.Kennan worked at the embassy in Moscow and said that the governnent would collapse if they couldn't expand. The policy would take 2 approaches. One was through economic by sending American money to Europe and the other was a military approach. -
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Berlin Blockade
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Increased tensions over the territory in Berlin which was controlled half by the Soviets and half by the west lead to a showdown. The Soviets decided to stop supplies, military and otherwise to their part of Berlin,. The Western world responded by providing the supplies to the blocked area.The Americans actually did an airlift of supplies via plane. There were 324 days where tons of supplies were delivered. -
Creation of NATO
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NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created consisting of 12 nations from Europe in the west and Northern America. This ally of nations joined together and said that they were considered one nation if an attack happened on any one of them it was like the attack was on all of them. They were very organized though. -
Berlin Airlift
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The Berlin airlift was part of what happened during the Berlin Blockade. It lasted over a year. The Airlift was the way that supplies were delivered to Berlin when the Soviets blocked all incoming supplies in order for a surrender. It was really hard on the people there, because the supplies had to be flown in since the AutoBahn highway was cut off. -
American Involvement in the Korean War
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The United States convinced NATO under President Truman to defend south Korea as a free non communist country. Truman and others also believed that even though Korea was half way around the world, that somehow China and the Soviets were taking control of smaller countries. -
Death Penalty given to Julius and Ethel Rosenburg
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The Rosenberg couple were both born in the US from family members who were Russian. They were accused, put on trial and found guilty of having a communist espionage group and taking the instructions for making the atom bomb to the Soviets. They were surrounded by a lot of controversy and news propaganda. They were given the death penalty and although they tried to appeal it, were both executed. -
Inaugural Address of Dwight Eisenhower to President
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In his speech, the president first prayed and then he talked about values of the United States. He talked about having faith and being a nation that is free from slavery and one that choses freedom. He outlined 7 princilples for the United States -
Nikita Khrushchev elected Soviet leader
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After the death of Stalin Nikita Khrushchev began to tell all the bad things that Stalin did in order to make himself look better. He rose to power by giving bad examples of the policies of Stalin and he made himself look charming. He was elected the Soviet leader and was part of the Cuban Missiole Crisis. -
The Warsaw Pact
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The pact that the eastern European nations joined together in response to NATO and how they formed as a counter act to NATO. The socialist nations were bound together loosely by their military alliance. There were collective decisions made that strengthened eastern European nations. -
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Vietnam War and American Involevment
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Ho Chin Mign asks President Truman for help in a letter asking for independence of VIetnam. In 1948 Truman gave financial support and supplies to the French in the war. In 1950 the US recognized Vietnam and gave the French more money. 15 million dollars was given for military aid. Americans got involved in the fighting later and were killed in the Vietnam war. -
Sputnik
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Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union.Sputnik was the first satelite to be put into space as an artificial satellite. It took 98 minutes to go around teh world. This event changed history.because it started the race for space and is the point in time that marks the beginning of the space age. -
Cuban Revolution begins
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The Cuban Revolution began and Castro's influence effect the US trying to help Latin America. Communism was close by in Cuba now and fear spread to the United States. This was a high point of the Cold War. -
U2 Incident
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The United States was spying on the Soviet Union during the Cold War because President Eisenhower was worried about Soviet techonological advances and nuclear war that would make them a super power. The planes were flying over Soviet Union areas as a secret mission to take pictures and gather information. The U2 was shot down by a Soviet ground to air missile. Everything that followed was mysterious for a while. -
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Kennedy Presidency
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President Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic President. He also was the first president to have the debates put on television. He had a huge influence in the Cold War and one of his most famous quotes was "ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." He was assasinated and the nation was overwhelmed. -
Bay of Pigs
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About 1500 Cuban people who were exiled from Cuba tried to invade the island but they were not successful They entered through the south side at "the bay of pigs" and were going to try to overthrow Castro and communism. The CIA and President Kennedy were blame for supporting them but not helping enough when the mission failed. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
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East Germany had already lost one sixth of the population before the wall was put up, and part of the reason it was put up was so that no one could get out, let alone any influences get in. The wall was actually made of two concrete strips with a space in between for patrols and watch dogs. The wall may have come down by mistake, when someone announced on National Public Radio that east Germans. -
Assasination of JFK
[SOURCE](hhttp://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx)
President John F Kennedy was in Texas campaigning and was very happy to have a crowd of people out even though it was raining. He was shot as we was riding in an open car and died. There were and continue to be many theories as to who, why and how he was assasinated but Lee Harvey Oswald but he was also shot. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
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President Johnson put this resolution before Congress to get support for the US to defend territory in Vietnam as an interest to the US. Congress did approve it because there was an attack on detroyer boats, the Maddox being one. The attacks were by Vietnams torpedos and unprovoked. -
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Nixon Presidency
SourcePresident Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States for 4 years and was the only president to resign the office, as a result of the watergate scandal. He sucessfully ended fighting in vietnam and improved international relation with China, and the U.S.S.R. -
Apollo 11
SourceThis was the mission to get a man on the moon and NeilArmstrong and Edwin Aldrin did it. when Armstron took his first step on the moon he said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” -
SALT I
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SALT stands for Strategic Arms Limitations Talks -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
SourceThis was a series of protests and demonstrations in China. the Government cracked down on this and sepressed all demonstrations -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
SourceTo this day, the Berlin Wall remains one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of the Cold War.
