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Iron Curtain
Was the physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of WWll in 1945 until the end of the cold war in 1991. Then the term symbolized efforts by the Soviet Union to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the west and non Soviet controlled areas. -
Truman Doctrine
Was an American foreign policy to stop Soviet imperialism during the Cold War. It was announced to congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12,1947 when he pledged to contain Soviet threats to Greece and Turkey. -
Containment Policy
Was a strategy by which the U.S. waged the Cold War. It had a variety of meanings at its inception, and evolved over the 45 years of its existence. The key goals of containment were to limit the spread of Soviet power and Communist ideology. -
Marshall Plan
A program by which the U.S. gave large amounts of economic aid to European countries to help them rebuild after the devastation of WWll. It was proposed by the U.S. Secretary of State, General George C. Marshall. -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
An international crisis that arose from an attempt by the Soviet Union, introduction of a new deutsche mark in West Berlin, which the Soviets regarded as a violation of agreements with the Allies, the Soviet forces in East Germany began a blockade of all railroad and water communications between Berlin and the West, then on J7une 26, the U.S. and Britain organized an airlift in the opposite direction of West Berlin with food and other supplies. -
Korean War
A war fought in the early 50s between the U.N., supported by the U.S., and the communist Democratic Peoples Rebublic of North Korea. The war began in 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea, who were supported by the Soviet Union and China who were droved back across the divide, yet encountered a chinese invasion. At the end, North Korea became communist and South Korea was an anti-communist and nationalist government. -
Sputnik
Was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union and marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R. space race. Officially it was was launched to correspond with the International Geophysical Year. -
U-2 spyplane incident
The U.S.S.R. shot down an American U-2 spy plane in Soviet airspace and captured its pilot Francis Gary Power. Then President Eisenhower as forced to admit to the Soviets that the U.S. C.I.A. had been flying spy missions over the U.S.S.R. for several years. The incident raised tensions between the U.S. and the Soviets during the Cold War. -
Bay of Pigs
An unsuccesful invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles, supported by the U.S. Government. Then on April 17, 1961, an armed force of about 1500 Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba. -
Berlin Wall and Demolition
Fortified concrete and wire barrier that separated East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, it was built by the government of what was then East Germany to keep East Berliners from defecting to the West. Built on August 13, 1961, it would be later torn down on November 9, 1989 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenging Mikhail Garbachev, then the General Secretary of the Communist party of the Soviet Union, to tear down the wall as a symbol of increasing freedom in the Eastern side.
