-
Russian Revolution
Led by Lenin, peasants and the working class citizens revolted against Tsar Nicolas II. They were called Bolsheviks and they built a communist government which led to the creation of the Soviet Union. -
Iron Curtain
A dividing line in Europe between Democratic countries, and Soviet controlled communistic countries. -
Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The United States were tired of the Japanese persistance in the end of World War II, so in an effort to bring an end to the war without costing anymore American lives, they dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities; Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two attacks were three days apart and forced the Japanese into a quick surrender. -
Potsdam Conference
A meeting between the winners of the war; America, Britain, and Russia. Their respective leaders; President Truman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Stalin. They met to discuss terms for the end of the war. -
Hollywood 10
10 Hollywood actors, or directors who went to trial and could not prove that they were anti communism. They were charged with contempt. This led to them being blacklisted and their careers ruined. -
Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was designed by the Soviet Union in order to provide aid to Eastern European countries who were allies with them. -
Truman Doctrine
A U.S. devised plan to give economical aid to countries at risk of communism in an effort to contain it. Specifically Greece and Turkey. -
Berlin Blockade
Berlin was in the Soviet controlled side of Germany and Stalin cut of their access to supplies in an attempt to kill them. -
Alger Hiss Case
A US government worker and supposed communist, Alger Hiss, was brought to court to be tried for being a spy on the US government -
Berlin Airlift
Berlin was in the Soviet section of Germany. The Soviets started chocking off Berlin from supplies so America stepped in and did the morally correct thing even though Germany was a past enemy. They air dropped food and supplies for almost a year before the soviets lifted the blockade. -
Marshall Plan
The United States gave 13 billions dollars to western Germany to help them rebuild after the war. This war to prevent a situation similar to Germany after World War 1 -
Nato
An alliance between western nations to provide security against the soviets. North Atlantic treaty organization -
Soviet Bomb Test
The soviets exploded their first successful nuclear bomb, this caused Americans at the homeland to fear for their own safety -
Korean War
1950-1953, it began when communist north korea crossed into non communistic south korea, and america joined against the north because our main goal was to end communism. We lost many lives but reached an agreement along the 38th parallel. -
Rosenberg Trial
A couple accused of selling nuclear war head secrets to the soviets, the were sentenced to death -
Battle of Diem Bien Phu
France had control of vietnam at the time but lost miserably in this battle. they left vietnam in the hands of america to take care of. -
Geneva Conference
A meeting between the big four leaders of the western powers. they met to decide what to do in the after math of the Korean war. -
Army/McCarthy Hearings
McCarthy said he had a list of communists in the army and the government. He accused many people of being communists but he turned out to be a fraud. 6 -
Warsaw Pact
I response to the forming of nato the soviet union and its satellite states formed their own alliance -
Hungarian Revolution
Hungarians revolted against communistic governments forced by the soviet union. Soviets used their powerful army to destroy the revolution. -
U-2 Incident
A plane was sent over soviet Russia on a secret mission to try to photograph denied territory of Russia. The soviets shot down the plane. It canceled plans for the leaders of america and the soviets to meet. -
Berlin Wall
A wall built by soviets in an effort to keep all of Berlin from leaving no matter what section. It was used to prevent germans from fleeing to safer parts of germany -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A US raid on Cuba in an attempt to take down Fidel Castro. It failed miserably. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The soviets were harboring nuclear weapons in Cuba. because Cuba is so close to the the mainland USA america blockaded Cuba in an effort to get the soviets to remove the bombs. They agreed if america removed theirs from turkey. -
Assassination of JFK
JFK was shot by a sniper during a parade. He was in an open air car and died quickly. -
Assassination of Diem
The united states knew Diem wasn't getting the support needed and so they killed him and his brother in hope a new leader would get more support from south Vietnam -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
A system that gave Johnson a "blank check" to do whatever he wants to maintain security in asia. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
An intense bombing against north vietnam in an effort to weed them out without using troops. it didnt work very well because they coudlnt pin point soldiers and they had tunnles built -
Riots of Democratic Convention
The democratic party was falling apart over what to do in vietnam. after mlks death riots began. police were instructed to shoot to kill in chicago -
Assassination of RFK
Robert Kennedy was a close adviser to the president and he was anti gun violence and pro civil rights. He was assassinated on June 5. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther king was assassinated out of racism, he was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead sometime later -
Invasion Of Czechoslovakia
5 warsaw pact nations invaded Czechoslovakia in an effort to thwart their reformist trends. The invasion successfully stopped their reformation. -
Election of Nixon
Nixon promised a change of leadership in the vietnam war. This appealed to the public because they wanted the war to end. -
Tet Offensive
A surprise attack on the lunar new year. it was typically a ceasefire but this year the north had an all out attack against the south. They were repelled and the vietcong mostly wiped out but it weakened public support for the war. -
Kent State
Kent state had a protest against the war in which things turned violent and 4 students were killed -
Nixon Visits China
When nixon visited china it normalized relations between the united states and china. It allowed the public to view images of china for the first time in over 20 years. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
Nixon pulled all the troops out of Vietnam in an agreement that the north would not invade the south -
Fall of Saigon
After the united states pulled out of south Vietnam the north promptly took over Saigon and claimed control of the country -
Reagan Elected
Reagan was an extremely popular nominee and won the majority of votes against democrat jimmy carter. Reagan worked hard to reform the economic systems of the united states. -
SDI Announced
Reagan announced plans for a anti missile defense system that would shoot down missiles from space. it was nicknamed star wars -
Geneva Conference With Gorbachev
Gorbachev was a dow to earth soviet leader who got along well with the united states. during this meeting the two leaders realized they could work well and compromise with each other. -
'Tear Down This Wall' Speech
Reagan stood in front of the Berlin wall, a very dangerous place for Americans at the time, and challenged Gorbachev to break down the Berlin wall. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
When the soviets destroyed their wall it signified the thawing of the cold war. after the cold war, citizens of berlin were free to do as they please.
