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Nuclear Arms Race and Detente
Hydrogen BombAfter the united states dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima to stop World War 2 everyone was wanting to catch up and get nuclear weapons for themselves. By 1949 the Soviet union caught up and had some nuclear weapons of their own. Then by 1953 both sides had a hydrogen bomb which was even more destructive than the atomic bomb.The race began with each side trying to keep up with the others new weapons. In 1969, the United states and the soviet union began Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) -
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Nuclear Arms Race and Detente 2
These talks limited the amount of nuclear weapons held by each side. In 1972 and 1979 each side signed the agreements limiting the amount of nuclear weapons they had. One agreement was to limit anit-ballistic missiles (ABM), or missiles that could shoot down other missiles from other countries. American and soviet arms control agreements led to and era of detente. This relaxed the tensions during the 1970s.. The Americans used this restrain the soviets through diplomatic agreements rather than -
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Nuclear Arms Race and Detente 3
Military means. The detente ended in 1979. By the late 1960s Britain, France, and China also had their own nuclear weapons, but by that time military leaders agreed to keep the arms race from spreading. -
NATO
In 1949, the United States, Canada and ten other countries formed a new military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or in other words NATO. They all agreed that if any one of them was attacked the others would help each other -
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Communist Cuba and Missile crisis
Cuban missile crisisIn the 1950s Fidel Castro led his guerrilla army to take over the corrupt leader of Cuba. He led about transforming the country making it communist. Then in 1961 the U.S. President John F. Kennedy supported the invasion of Cuba with Cuban exiles, but Castro's army captured them. In 1962 the Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba, the U.S. set up a naval blockade to block the ships coming in. They then ordered the Soviets to take back the missiles. After several tense day the Soviets agreed. -
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Chinese Civil War
Mao ZedongIn the 1950 Communism reached China. Mao Zedong and the idea of communism became popular because it redistributed land among the peasants. Mao and his army raided south China and beat the nationalists. Mao then tried his Great Leap forward. This urged people to combine and make big industries and farms. This failed though because they produce poor quality goods and there was a food shortage. He then tried a Cultural revolution but this also failed. It failed because teenager that were red guard -
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Chinese Civil War 2
These red Guards improsined all chinas skilled worker and managers. -
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Korean Conflict
In the early 20th century Japan conquered Korea, but after its loss in World War 2 the Soviets and the U.S, split up Korea along the 38th parralell. In 1950 both leaders of Korea wanted to own the country. In june of that year North Korea attacked the south and overran most of it. The United Nations which consisted most of South Koreans and Americans then were going to get involved. North Korea pushed until they reached the Pusan Perimeter. In september of 1950 American troop landed on beaches -
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Korean conflict 2
around the port of Inch'on. These U.S. led troops quickly captured Korea's north-south rail lines, and cut off north Korean troops from their supply of food and ammunition. North Korean troops that were in the south surrendered, and by November U.N. troops pushed north to the Yalu River. Because the U.S. got so close to Chinas border Mao Zedong sent thousands of troops and helped push them back to the 38th parralell. -
Warsaw Pact
In responce to the United states NATO alliance the soviet union made its own military alliance with them and 7 other satellitez called the Warsaw Pact. Unlike NATO the warsaw pact was formed to keep the satellites in order -
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Soviet Union Falls 2
economy. The first one he called glasnost which ended censorship and encouraged people to discuss the country's problems. The second reform was perestroika, which was reconstructing of the government and economy. However the reforms made the economy worse with shortages, unemployment, and closed factories. At the end of 1991 the soviet republics split to form 12 independent nations. -
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Soviet Union Falls
Bad Soviet economySoviet Union Falls: After the launch of Sputnik in 1957 the Soviet Union economy stagnated. Because of the Soviet Union command economy they could not match the western market economies. They had to import grain instead of being able to feed their people. Government Planners in Moscow did not know what the people needed and produced many unneeded goods. The arms race burdened the ineffiecient command economy.Then in 1985 a new leader Mikhail Gorbachev tried some new reforms to try to help the -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall, a huge concrete wall topped with barbed wire, was built to seperate the democratic West Berlin and the communist East Berlin. It was meant to keep the east Berliners from crossing to the west. Many people tried crossing the wall some making and some dying. The death total that the wall brought was more than 100 people -
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vietnam conflict
guerrilla warriorsAt first Americans only sent supplies to south vietnam until north viatnamese attacked a nearby U.S. Navy destroyer the maddox. Three days later they reported another attack and the U.S. got involved. U.S. then began bombing targets in north Vietnam and then sent 500,000 troops. The americans soon faced a guerrilla war and they hid in country sides and took refuge at civilian homes and attacked with stealth. Even with the massive american support south vietnam still failed to defeat the guerrila -
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Vietnam Conflict
In 1968 guerrillas came out and attacked Americans and South Viatnamese. It was unexpected because it took place during the tet. As the war continued more americans wanted no more war. They did massive street demonstrations to prove it. American leaders decided it was time to take troops out of vietnam, and in 1973 they signed a paris peace treaty and pulled the troops out of vietnam. -
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Eastern European Independence
Eastern EuropeAs time went on more contries demanded independence. IN 1970 Hungary expanded its economy and in 1980 began to criticize the communist government. Then in 1988 the communist government allowed more freedoms. Poland then led by Lech Walesa demanded more political change. They soon then won their independence. East Germans then demanded change as well and in 1988 they won more political freedoms. In 1989 the communist government in europe fell and for the first time since 1939 Europe was free. -
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Soviets in Afghanistan 2
Vietnam by mid 1980s. Americans then began to smuggle modern weaponery to the mujahedin, and therefore the soviets faced heavy casualties, high costs, and few success. It striked a crisis at home for the Soviets -
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Soviets in Afghanistan
In 1979 the soviet union became involved in a war in Afghanistan.A soviet supported government tried to modernize the nation. Its policies included social reforms and land distribution. Afghan landlords who were in charge of armed men called warlords charget that both policies threatened Islamic tradition. It was when the warlords took up arms that the Soviet Union troops moved in. Battling mujahedin in the mountains of afghanistan proved to be as difficult as fight guerrilas in the jungle of
