-
Iron Curtain speech
Former British Prime Minister gave a speech in Missouri in which he said there was an "iron curtain" descending between Western and Eastern Europe. This Iron Curtain separated those countries of democracy and capitalism and those of communism. -
Truman Doctrine
As part of a speech President Truman gave, the Truman Doctrine arose giving the United States the ability to help any country actively resisting attempted subjugations from armed minorities or by outside pressures. -
The Marshall Plan
This concept, written by George Marshall, simply stated the U.S. would give economic aid to those countries in poverty and destruction who need help building their economy back up. -
Hollywood Ten hearings
The Hollywood Ten were the ten people who refused to cooperate with the HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee) by siting their 1st Amendment right. They were convicted of contempt and sent to prison. -
The Molotov Plan
The Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov came up with this plan. It was created with the same idea as the Marshall Plan - any European or Asian country that was turning to become communistic would get economic aid from the Soviet Union. -
The Berlin Blockade
An effort made by the Soviets to block off all land travel into Eastern Berlin for the Soviets didn't want anything to do with Western countries because they believed the Western countries were violating the Potsdam Agreement. -
The Berlin Airlift
A move made by America to help sustain the lives of those living in Western Berlin during the Berlin Blockade by sending supplies via airplanes -
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was formed and has 26 member countries. It's a unified defense against Soviet aggression. -
Soviet Atomic Bomb Test of 1949
The USSR detonated is first atomic bomb. The A-bomb test was code named "First Lightning". -
Chinese Revolution
On this day, Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist party, declared China to be Communist and became the leader of China. This ended the war between the Chinese Communist party and the Nationalist party. -
Alger Hiss case
Alger Hiss, an ex-communist, was accused of spying on the United States and passing U.S. secrets off to the Russians. He was then convicted of perjury and sentenced to prison. (Day of conviction) -
Korean War
Korea had wanted to run their own government and not under imperial Japan. Once Japan was driven out, Korea got split in half - South Korea supported by democratic U.S. and North Korea supported by mainly communist China and a little by Russia. This is the 1st Proxy War we see. -
Rosenberg case
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of passing U.S. bomb secrets to the Soviets. They were found guilty and sentenced to the electric chair. (Day of execution) -
Army-McCarthy hearings
Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was very on-edge about people being communists and stirred much fear into the American people about communism. McCarthy conducted investigations in the U.S. Army, suspecting that they were very soft about communism. All it did was show the public how much of a bully McCarthy was and his recklessness. -
Geneva Convention
A convention held in Geneva, Switzerland where the US, France, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the People's Republic of China met to discuss how to deal with the SE Asian issues, primarily the war between Vietnam, fighting for their independence, and France, fighting to keep their colonial hold over Vietnam. -
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Viet Minh forces, led by Ho Chi Minh, drove out the French that occupied Dien Bien Phu. -
The Warsaw Pact
A counterbalance alliance against NATO formed between the Soviet Union and some Eastern European countries -
The Invasion of Hungary
The Soviets invaded Hungary in order to stop the uprisings happening there. The Hungarians wanted freedom from the oppression of the Soviets and a more democratic government, but the Soviets made sure that wasn't going to happen by showing up in Hungary with tanks to crush the protests. -
U2 Incident
A U.S. U2 spy plane was shot down and captured by the USSR and the pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, having served only 2 of those years, he was swapped with a Soviet spy that was captured by the U.S. -
Bay of Pigs
An attempted attack made by the U.S. in order to get rid of the nuclear missile bases stationed in Cube by the Soviet Union. Cuban exiles were trained by the CIA and sent to Cuba, where they had no sea or air support, and were greatly crushed. -
The Berlin Wall
A wall made overnight by the Soviet Union that divided Western and Eastern Germany, and the same was erected for Berlin. The purpose of the wall was the Soviets wanted to keep the Eastern side from getting a feel for the Western ideas and turn to them. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union set up nuclear missiles in Cuba that could reach any part of the United States. President JFK had to find a way to get the missiles out of Cuba without starting a nuclear war, which was very close to happening. In the end, Krushchev finally took the missiles out of Cuba in exchange for the United States pledging not to invade Cuba. -
13 Days
The amount of days the Cuban Missile Crisis went on for. It showed just how close both of the world's superpowers got to starting an all-out nuclear war. -
Assassination of Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem, the president of South Vietnam, was favoring Catholics over Buddhists for he was a Catholic himself, though they were a minority group, and he never fulfilled his promises on land reforms. He was murdered by dissident South Vietnamese army generals during a coup. -
Assassination of JFK
The president was assassinated in Texas during a round of speeches made through the country as part of his campaign to run for office again. -
Tonkin Gulf ResolutionT
Congress passed this resolution that allowed President Johnson to take any actions necessary that he believed would help maintain and promote peace in SE Asia. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
An authorized call made by President Johnson to sustain bombing of targets in North Vietnam. It was suppose to last 8 weeks but instead lasted for 3 1/2 years. (Approved by the President on this day. Bombing lasted March 2, 1965 -- November 1, 1968.) -
TET Offensive
The North Vietnamese launched a coordinated assault against virtually every military and political center in South Vietnam. This move ultimately destroyed Johnson's presidency. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee to lead a march there. -
Assassination of RFK
Robert F. Kennedy was in the middle of his campaign for the presidency in 1968 to avenge his brother JFK being killed in 1963. He had just won the Democratic primary in California the day before and while in his hotel he was shot dead. -
The Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and changed it to be a communist government in order to keep the Czechs from joining the Western countries and their democracy. -
Riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago
Thousands of anti-war demonstrators converged at the convention hoping to get public opinion against the war. Federal troops were there waiting at the convention in Chicago, which the demonstrators wanted to happen. They wanted violence from the troops in order to get the attention of the media, since that was the only way to get their attention. -
Election of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon won the 46th presidential election by running his campaign on the platform to restore law and order in America. -
Kent State Shooting
Demonstrators faced off with the National Guardsmen. The demonstrators were against the bombing done by the United States in Cambodia. 4 students were dead before the shooting was over. (Demonstrators started May 1, 1970. National Guardsmen showed up May 2.) -
Nixon visits China
President Richard Nixon visited the two communist government leaders, Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Zhou Enlai for the People's Republic of China Premier in an effort to reach out and reconnect ties with communists as well as inch closer and closer to making new alliances with the Soviet Union. (Date is first day in China. Last day - 28th) -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
The first ceasefire was rejected by the Saigon government, still run by South Vietnam. A ceasefire agreement was finally and officially reached in which President Nixon called for a ceasefire in Vietnam, bringing peace and honor to Vietnam. -
Fall of Saigon
After the ceasefire was made, it was only a matter of time before the North Vietnamese captured Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam. Many South Vietnamese feared getting captured by the North Vietnamese and be imprisoned, so they tried escaping by sea. -
Election of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan won the presidency in a landslide, during the time of the Iran hostage crisis and the USSR invading Afghanistan -
Announcement of SDI's (Star Wars)
Ronald Reagan announces to the public that the government will be invested in creating satellites that will patrol in space about the US and they would zap any incoming Soviet missiles with lazers. This was very much a lie, but it made the Soviet Union go into panic mode and bleed themselves dry. This idea was later dubbed as 'Star Wars' by the media. SDI = Strategic Defense Initiative -
Geneva Convention
Gorbachev offered a deal to President Reagan - if the US called off Star Wars, the Soviet Union would downscale their weapon amount. President Reagan refused and wouldn't budge about changing his mind. This convention was the start of conversation about arms limitations. -
'Tear Down This Wall' speech
President Ronald Reagan goes to the Berlin Wall in Germany and makes his appeal to Mikhail Gorbachev in front of it, saying if Gorbachev wants peace, then he should tear down the wall -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Gorbachev had the wall taken down and its gates opened to allow East and West Germany to be united once more after days of protests made by citizens
