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The United States and the Soviet Union were in a tense competition over advanced technology development. It lasted from World War II to 1987, when the two sides agreed to limit the research of nuclear missiles.
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The U.S. was fearful of communism spreading past Soviet borders. Senator Joseph Mccarthy used this fear to spread false claims about people being communists. Many accused were blacklisted from their field of work. In 1954, it came out that Sen. Mccarthy overly exaggerated his list of communists.
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After WWII, Berlin was split into four. Three sections of West Berlin would go to the Allied Powers. The Soviet Union took control of East Berlin -
The Allied powers had no way of sending goods into the city since Stalin forced a blockade in hopes of driving them out of West Berlin. His plan failed when the Allied powers flew goods in the area for a year. Primary Source: Airlift into West Berlin
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military alliance in 1949 formed by the U.S., Canada, and Western European to protect themselves from the Soviet Union.
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The U.S. was trying to contain communism. Vietnam was divided into north and south over political ideologies. The U.S. intervened but failed to stop the spread of communism into South Vietnam. It caused a significant backlash in the U.S, as many Americans were against the U.S. engaging in a war.
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The Space Race during the Cold War was a significant factor in the tensions between the nations. Americans and Soviets wanted to prove their technological and intellectual advances by being the first to send humans to space.
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Soviets launch the first satellite, Sputnik, into space. This event intensified the United States push for space advances. -
JFK Library This account is more detailed in terms of events. It is from the JFK library, focusing on Kennedy's presidency during the Cold War. It incorporates digital primary sources of main events. -
The Soviet Union built a wall to separate the divided city to stop the spread of fascism from entering the East. Although, it was constructed mainly to prevent the escape to West Berlin -
The Soviet Union hid missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from the United States. This event led to a 35-day stand-off between the nations. It was the time during the Cold War when a nuclear attack was the most possible. -
The Cold War was a technological advancement race, but the Soviet Union feared surrounding nations would turn to the U.S. for assistance. So the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan during a time of trouble for the country.
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The Cold War was coming to an end. East Germany decided to allow the opening of the border. Flocks of people waited on each side of the wall for midnight. The city was together for the first time since 1945. -
The Soviet Union came to an end with Mikhail Gorbachev. He inherited a weak USSR due to isolation from the rest of Europe, and a weak economy. The Soviet Union disintegrated as Gorbachev tried to set reforms. The dissolution of the Soviet Union was celebrated by the rest of the world, but Gorbachev was seen as a villain by the communist party. -
Crash Course This video is intended for a younger audience learning about the Cold War. It includes factual information about the Cold War era but does not detail each topic. Instead, it is an informational video summarizing the significant points.