U.S.A. vs. U.S.S.R.

By hurstgsf
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    NATO and Warsaw Pact

    [Warsaw and NATO map](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/history/assets/cold_war_map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/history/cold_war_i.htm&usg=__khGDe-zysikAbFwgjdEg8U0jb94=&h=600&w=863&sz=51&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=kepQvmVqhFwhYM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=177&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwarsaw%2Bpact%2Band%2Bthe%2BNATO%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN%26noj%3D1%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D560%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=467&ei=HCQjTcL4G4SClAfF5pC-Cw&oei=HCQjTcL4G4SClAfF5pC-Cw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=140&ty=54)In 1949, tewelve contries including the United States and Canada created a new miliary alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, or NATO. Members of this aliance system promised to help on another in the event of an attack. The Soviet Union responded by creating their own pact, including them and seven other satelites in Eastern Europe. this pact called the Warsaw Pact was diferent from the NATO, however. It was often invoked by the Soviets to keep their satalites in order.
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    Nuclear Arms Race and Detente

    Nuclear Arms RaceIn 1949 , the Soviet Union had developed nuclear weapons, catching up to the United States. By 1953, both sides had developed hydrogen bombs. Both sides engaged in a race to develop beter nuclear weapons. The result was called a "balance of terror". In 1972 and 1979, both sides agreed to sign SALT to limit to limit the number of of nuclear weapons. The American strategy under detente was to restrain the Soviet Union through diplomatic agreements rather than by military means.
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    Vietnam Conflict

    Vietnam WarIn 1954 the French leave Vietnam. At that time, America steps in, afraid of the "domino affect" of communism. In 1968 guerrilla forces attacked American forces, causing a major loss of troops. This attack was unexpected because it happened during the Vietnamese New Year. In 1973 President Nixon negotiated the Paris Peace Accord, or halt in fighting.
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    Chinese Civil War-Great Leap Forward Fails

    Mao ZedongCommunist chinese leader Mao Zedong led a program in 1958 callde the Great Leap Forward. He urged people to increase farm and industrial output. The Great Leap Forward failed however ue to backyard industries turning out to be llow-quality useless goods. Bad weather caused a famine and the commune system cut food output by removing incentives fro farmers and fmilies leading o neglect and food shortages.
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    Korean Conflict

    North and South KoreaKorea was split into North and South Korea. During the cold war they fought on different sides. North Korea was a communist command economy while South Korea was a capitalist market economy, commanded by a series of dictators and and military rulers. A single dictator controlled North Korea. After the war, South Korea slowly rebuilt its economy, and by the 1960's South Koreas economy had leapt ahead. Elections in 1987 began successful transitions into democracy. North Korea remeined communist.

  • Berlin Wall

    Berlin Wall
    Berlin was changed into the west being democratic and the east being communist. Residents of the east were unhappy with conditions such as low paying jobs. Thousands a month fled from the east side to the west. To stop the flight East Germany built a wall, ceasing the fleeing of people and dividing families. Over a hundred died trying to pass over the masive concrete and barbed wire barrier.
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    Communist Cuba and Cuban Missle Crisis

    CubaCuba went communist when Fidel Castro came into power, who organized an armed rebellion against the corrupt dictator. Castro nationalized buisnesses and put most land under government control. In the summer of 1962, The United States found out that the Soviet Union was shipping nuculear weapons in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy responded by placing a naval blockade around Cuba, preventing Soviet shipments. Finally Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev agreed to remove the Soviet missles.
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    Soviets in Afghanistan

    15 Independent NationsThe ten year war in Afghanistan started when a soiet-supported Afghan government had tried to modernize the nation. Afgan landlords and Muslim conservatives charged that poicies in modernizing the government went against Islamic traditions. The war resulted in Soviet republics seperating into twelve independent nations in addition to three baltic states.
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    Eastern European Independence

    Eastern EuropeBy the 1980's countries from China to Cuba were suffering economic decline due to the defeat of communism in the Soviet Union. China's communist party undertook no political reforms. Communist Vietnam established diplomatic relations with the United States in the 1990's. North Korea went to isolation and refused to reform its economy or political system. In Cuba, communism seemed to many to be living on borrowed time.

  • The Fall of the Soviet Union

    Two days before the Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev was to sign a treaty, a committe overtook the government. The committe sent columns of tanks and troops to take control of the capital, Moscow. On August 21st, the hardliners gave up their takeover and ordered soviet troops to retreat from Moscow.