-
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War consisted of a communist uprising against the established Greek government that started shortly after WW2 ended. 158,000 Greeks died during the war that eventually ended in 1949. Ultimately, the Greek government forces defeated the Communists with help from the United Kingdom and United States. -
Formation of the Eastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc was formed so the Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe could provide a unified force against the Democratic countries of Western Europe. The Eastern Bloc would provide a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and the West, limiting the chances of an invasion. The Eastern Bloc eventually ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. -
Postwar occupation and division of Germany
After Germany's defeat by the Allies in WW2, their country was split into 4 parts occupied by Russia, Great Britain, France, and the United States. Berlin was also separated into four different occupied zones. Ultimately, Germany was split into West and East Germany, with West Germany occupied by the Democratic nations France, Great Britain, and the United States while East Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union. -
Enactment of Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was enacted by Truman and provided economic aid to Europe. The Americans hoped to rebuild their postwar economy, modernize it, and minimize trade barriers. However, the Soviets refused to join in the plan, increasing the tension between them and the United States. -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
Joseph Stalin imposed the Berlin Blockade in hopes of cutting off Allied supplies from reaching their zones in Berlin, allowing him to take it over. The allies got around the blockade by airlifting supplies in daily using airplanes. Eventually, Stalin realized the blockade was ineffective and removed it. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a war between North and South Korea, with the Soviet Union supporting the North and the United States supporting the South. North Korea invaded South Korea using Soviet weapons and quickly defeated South Korea, but America came to their aid and pushed them back. The war ended after an armistice on July 27, 1953, with South Korea actually gaining ground by the end. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
China's Communist leader Mao Zedong created the People's Republic of China, officially making China a communist country. This announcement ended the Chinese Civil War between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party. China becoming Communist led to the United States suspending diplomatic ties with them for decades. -
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an uprising against the military dictatorship run by Fulgencio Batista. The armed Communist uprising ended with the government being overthrown on January 1, 1959. Fidel Castro, the leader of the revolution, became the leader of Cuba for the next 49 years. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict with the purpose of preventing a communist takeover of Vietnam. The US attempted to fight against it, but due to public outcry and military failings they ultimately pulled out of the war. After the US pulled out, the Communist part of Vietnam took total control and united the entire country under their banner. -
Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian Uprising was an attempted revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic due to their governments ties to the Soviet Union. The uprising was a result of a speech made by Nikita Khrushchev in which he attacked the Hungarian people. The uprising resulted in a Soviet invasion and victory. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The US led a group of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba in the hopes the rest of the population would join them and help depose their Communist government. The invasion failed as the Cuban military quickly defeated and captured many in the invasion force. This was a massive embarrassment for the US. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis began when the US discovered that the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons stationed in Cuba. This made the US uncomfortable and led to them demanding the Soviets remove the nukes, resulting in a deadly standoff between the two nations. The Soviets eventually backed down and removed their missiles from Cuba and the US also removed some of their missiles from Cuba. -
Building the Berlin Wall
The Soviet Union sealed the border between East and West Berlin to stop the flow of people moving from East to West Berlin. This wall divided Berlin into two contrasting zones, with one being Democratic and the other Communist. The East side of the wall was constantly patrolled by guards ordered to shoot people attempting to escape on sight. -
Rise of the Palestine Liberation Organization
The PLO was conceived at an Arab League Summit in Cairo with the goal to establish an Arab state and advocating for the elimination of the State of Israel. The PLO's first meeting occurred in Jerusalem on May 28, 1964, where they elected Ahmed Shuqeiri as their leader. They advocated for the use of arms to achieve their goals. -
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in which they fought for additional freedoms. The Soviet Union reacted to this by sending troops to Czechoslovakia in an attempt to crack down on reformist trends in Prague. In this way, it worked, but it also had many unintended consequences for the unity of the communist bloc. -
Soviet War in Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to bolster the newly established communist regime and suppress the Mujahideen rebellion against the government. The war resulted in huge casualties for both sides, with approximately 3,000,000 Afghans dying. This war also exhausted the Soviet Union and helped cause their dissolution. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
The Tiananmen Square Massacre began with a student protest that called for political liberalization and greater respect for human rights. However, the People's Liberation Army came down on the protest and slaughtered an unknown number of people. The Tiananmen Square Massacre resulted in the end of the political reforms that had begun in 1986 and halted the policies of liberalization of the 1980s -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall originally fell due to a miscommunication between Soviet officials, where the guards believed they were supposed to back off and allow travel across the border when they weren't supposed to. This began a flood of people crossing the border from East Berlin to West Berlin. It also emboldened the people and led to them tearing down the wall personally using whatever tools they could find. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The fall of the Soviet Union began when Gorbachev elected to have a multi-party system instead of only having the Communist Party. He also accidentally granted the people what they perceived to be freedom of speech, resulting in many people speaking out against the government and declaring independence. Eventually, the Soviet Union was cast aside and replaced by the Democratic country of Russia. -
9/11 Attacks
The 9/11 attacks were four terrorist attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda against the US on September 11, 2001. Al-Qaeda flew two planes into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon, and crashed one into the fields of Pennsylvania. The attacks led to the deaths of many Americans and began the United State's War on Terror.