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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
United States, Canada, and 10 other countries formed a new military alliance (NATO). This alliance was formed in response to the tension growing between the US and the USSR. -
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Nuclear Arms Race
Nuclear arms raceBy 1949, the Soviet Union had developed nuclear weapons to compete with the United States. By 1953, both sides had developed hydrogen bombs which are much more destructive than the atomic bombs they used to have. -
Warsaw Pact
Soviet Union and seven satellites in Eastern Europe responded by forming the Warsaw Pact. This alliance was formed as a response to the alliance the US formed (NATO). -
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Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil WarMao Zedong changes the chinese society and built a Communist one-party totalitarian state in China. The Great Leap Forward failed in 1958 through 1960 led by Mao. It proved to be a dismal failure and backyard industries turned out low-quality and they had useless goods. -
Communist Cuba
Castro led his guerrilla army to victory and set about transforming the country in 1959. The transformation is known as the Cuban Revoution and Cuba now believed in communism. -
Berlin Wall
The East Germans were unhappy with communism so they fled into West Berlin in 1961 and built a massive wall that sealed off West Berlin. -
Vietnam Conflict
America entered the Vietnam war because they thought the domino theory would happen, which was a communist victory in South Vietnam would lead to noncommunist government across Southeast Asia. Viet Cong tried to overthrow South Vietnam's government and the war intensified. -
Korean Conflict
North Korea and South Korea had a conflict within each other and their territory, and for a period of time they kept pushing back and forth to gain more land. In the end of this time period, North and South Korea didnt get anywhere and they were back to where they were before it started. -
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Buliding Detente
DetenteA detente is a relaxation of tensions. The strategy for the United States was to restrain the Soviet Union through diplomatic agreements rather than military means. -
Soviets in Afghanistan
The soviets became involved in a long war in Afghanistan in 1979 because they supported the Afghan government.They were battling mujahedin for social reforms and land redistribution. Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union during this time. -
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Eastern Europe Independence
Eastern Europe IndependenceMany countries in Europe were reforming and making changes during the Eastern Europe Independence. Hungary quietly reformed when the communist government allowed greater freedoms. Poland embraced Solidarity and and they held flags to protest their government. The East Germans demanded change and the communist government fell in 1989. -
Soviet Union Falls
The Command Economy stagnates in 1990 and the Soviet Union falls. The burden of military commitments hurt the Soviet Union because they couldnt go to war cause not enough people wanted to fight for their country. Mikhail Gorbachev called for glasnost which was openness and he encouraged people to discuss the country's problems openly and he also urged perestroika, or reconstucting of the government and economy.
