-
Truman Doctrine
This was an American foreign policy that helped keep communism from spreading. President Truman asked Congress for $400 million to give to Turkey and Greece to keep them from becoming communist. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of economic because the $400 million was to help Turkey and Greece's economies. This was important because it increased rivalry between communist and capitalist nations.
Picture - A 1947 political cartoon about the Truman Doctrine. -
Marshall Plan
An aid program in the US proposed by George Marshall to help European countries recover from WWII. Over 4 years over $13 billion was sent to Europe. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of economic because the US is helping European economies. This event was important because it made many European countries less vulnerable to communism.
Picture - A political cartoon in the US depicting the Marshall Plan -
Blockade of Berlin
The USSR blocks all access to the German capital to keep the US and others out. The democratic part of the city needs the goods from the US, so they airlift supplies over the blockade. Eventually the Soviet Union lifts the blockade. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of intellectual because they used relatively new science to solve their problems, and it is important to the Cold War because it shows the conflict between the capitalist and communist areas.
Picture - A US plane carrying supplies -
Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)
This was the USSR's response to the Marshall Plan. They provided aid to communist countries so that they wouldn't take the money from the US. This relates to the GASPIRE+ theme of psychological because it showed that their views on other governments were negative, and that they wanted to spread communism. This impacted the Cold War by keeping many communist countries communist, and increasing tensions between the US and USSR.
Picture - Flags of all of the communist nations on a magazine cover -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
The USA and a group of other European countries created a sort of alliance and pledged to support each other if attacked. The counties included Britain, France, Canada, and 8 others. This relates to the GASPIRE+ theme of social because they were united by their similarities in social class structure, and it is important to the Cold War because it turned the battle between the US and the USSR into something bigger, similar to the alliances in WWI.
Picture - Members of the current NATO -
The Korean War (1951-1953)
North Koreans supported by the USSR and China crossed the 38th parallel hoping to unite Koreans in communism. NATO supported South Koreans and pushed the North Koreans back, and the war ended with the same borders it had started with. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of geographic because controlling all of Korea could give communism a geographical advantage. It is important to the Cold War because the US and USSR are indirectly fighting.
Picture -Communist forces celebrating a victory (1953) -
Warsaw Pact
The USSR's response to the development of NATO. The Soviet Union created it and forced 7 eastern Europe "satellites" to join. This relates to the GASPIRE+ theme of religious because the USSR implied that other counties couldn't leave because it wouldn't be right (unethical). This event is important because it is basically the development of alliances just like at the beginning of WWI, which could become a problem.
Picture - a Conference between members of the Warsaw Pact in 1955 -
Communism in Cuba
Fidel Castro overthrew the corrupt government in Cuba with the support of the people. He established a communist government with the help of the USSR. This relates to the GASPIRE+ theme of social because he combined all social classes into one. This event is important to the Cold War because Cuba is the closest communist nation to the US at this point.
Picture - Fidel Castro giving a speech -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The US trained more than 1000 Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro. The mission failed and the US cut ties with Cuba. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of political because there is a lot of politics involved with foreign policies, and Fidel Castro had a powerful political position in Cuba. This event was very important to the Cold War because it ruined relations between the US and Cuba and prompted the USSR to protect Cuba.
Picture - Captured Cuban mercenaries during the invasion -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The USSR sent nuclear missiles into Cuba, and the US blockaded the island and demanded that they be removed. On October 28, the missiles were withdrawn. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of geographic and was very important during the Cold War because the missiles were in a strategic geographic location, so they would be able to hit the US easily.
Picture - American women protesting the Cuban Missile Crisis -
Moon Landing
John F. Kennedy promises to get a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. The US gets the first man on the moon in 1969. This relates to the GASPIRE+ theme of artistic because it had a very big effect on films and art afterwards, and was important to the Cold War because the US beat the USSR to the moon.
Picture - The Apollo 11 moon landing -
Hockey Champion
The US beat the USSR's unstoppable hockey team with college kids in the Winter Olympic Semifinals at Lake Placid, NY. They went on to win gold. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of cultural because hockey was part of Russian culture, and it was important because it was an embarrassing loss for the Soviets.
Picture - The Lake Placid 1980s Olympic Medal -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built to keep people from communist East Berlin from going to West Berlin. West Berlin was controlled by democracies even though it was in East Germany. This connects to the GASPIRE+ theme of psychological because it showed what the people of Berlin though of the Soviets and communism. This was an important event in the Cold War because it symbolized the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
Picture - Part of the original Berlin Wall -
A Metallic Atmosphere
A spacecraft called MAVEN is exploring Mars' atmosphere, and it has found evidence of metal atoms there. We have learned that the metal comes from tiny meteoroids that disintegrate when they enter the atmosphere. This type of space exploration wouldn't be possible today if the Space Race during the Cold War hadn't prompted the US to put a man on the moon. The advances in science we have made since then have been mind-blowing, and it is all due to the rivalry between the US and the USSR. (Jones) -
Personal Interview
The person interviewed was my mom, Sara Kruse. She is in her 40s, and remembers the Cold War from when she was a child. One of the more important things she remembers from that time was the Cuban Missile Crisis. She says that the wasn't scared because her parents didn't tell her enough about it, and that the government was very secretive about it. A lot of people were scared and ignorant because of this
