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NATO
nato symbolIn 1949 the U.S. Canada and 10 other countries formed new military alliance all the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO) They agreed to help one another if one of them was attacked. -
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Nuclear Arms Race and D`etente
nuclear missleThe United States had been the only nuclear power until in 1949 the Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons. In 1953 both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had created the Hydrogen Bomb. This bomb could destroy either side so both sides began making weapons that would “deter the other from launching”. This became a race. This was called the “balance of terror”. It could mean destruction for either side at any time sending people into constant fear. -
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The “Wild Card”
cardIn 1949 the triumph of the communists in China had seemed like a gain for the Soviet Union and a loss for the United States. In the 1950s China and the Soviet Union were uneasy allies. By 1960, there was border clashes and disputes over ideology. This led to the Soviets to withdraw all aid to China. By 1979 the United States set up formal diplomatic relations with China. -
China Communist Revolution
chinaAfter the war China became under the communist control. Communists redistributed land to poor peasants and ended oppression by landlords. Nationalists lost popularity while communists grew. The Chinese hoped that the communists would build a new China to end foreign domination. Communists conquered Tibet in 1950. -
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Communist Cuba
flagIn the 1950’s, Fidel Castro organized an armed rebellion against the corrupt dictator who then ruled Cuba. By 1959 Castro had led his army to victory and began transforming Cuba. He nationalized businesses and put most land under government control, in addition he severely restricted Cubans political freedom, critics were jailed or silenced, hundreds of thousands fled to Florida. -
Korean conflict
korean flagKorea was split in two by rival forces after World War II. Both of the Koreas were on opposite sides in the cold war. Korea was a independent kingdom until Japan conquered it in the early twentieth century. North Korea was communist and south Korea was dictatorial. Kim II Sung the leader of North Korea and Syngman Rhee the leader of South Korea both wanted to rule both parts of Korea. After North Korean troops attacked South Korea the United States made the United Nations help out South Korea. -
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Vietnam Conflict
flagAfter 1954 the people decided to divide Vietnam in half. The elections reunited Vietnam. the Americans were sending military weapons to South Vietnam and then they sent thousands of troops. August 1, 1964, the South Vietnamese conducted raids on the North Vietnamese islands. North Vietnamese attacked a U.S. destroyer thinking they helped the Southern Vietname. On August 7, 1964, there was a resolution made and called the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. North Vietnam won the war later on. -
Warsaw Pact
warsaw pact meetingIn 1955 the soviets decided to form their own military alliance called the Warsaw Pact. It included the Soviet Union and 7 satellites in eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was often restored power to the Soviets to keep the other members in order. -
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The Great Leap Forward
From 1958 to 1960 Mao led a program called the Great Leap Forward. Mao encouraged people to do hard work so they can increase farm and industrial output. The commune system had cut the food supply by making industries and making all the farmers go work in factories. Between 1959 and 1961 about 55 million Chinese were thought to have died of starvation. -
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The Great Leap Forward
great leap forwardFrom 1958 to 1960 Mao led a program called the Great Leap Forward. Mao encouraged people to do hard work so they can increase farm and industrial output. The commune system had cut the food supply by making industries and making all the farmers go work in factories. Between 1959 and 1961 about 55 million Chinese were thought to have died of starvation. -
Religion
In 1959 Tibet’s most revered religious leader, the Dalai Lama, was forced to flee the country. Mao Zedong built a communist one-party totalitarian state in the peoples republic of China. Communists discouraged the practice of any traditional Chinese beliefs. -
Berlin Wall
berlin wallWest Germany became West Berlin and East Germany became East Berlin. East Berlin was communism and West Berlin was democratic. East Germans wanted to be democratic because they were tired of communism so they started to flee to West Berlin. East Germany did not want this so they built a wall completely separating East and West Berlin. This was called the Berlin Wall it was built in 1961. It was topped with barbed wire and patrolled by guards. -
Missile Crisis
missleIn 1962 the soviet union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba. JFK built a naval blockade that prevented further shipments, JFK demanded that Russia removed the missiles, a few days later Russia removed them. -
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Eastern European Independence
mapmapHungary went against Communism and changed over to more of a free market economy. In 1980, Poland emphasized the same kind of change and became more democratic. In 1989, many Germans were fed up with the way things were being controlled and relocated to West Germany in search for a better way of life. The Communist government fell in 1989. Everyone wanted change. The Warsaw Pact was discontinued and the berlin wall fell. In 1992 the country then broke apart due to beliefs and different ideas. -
Soviets in Afghanistan
soviets in afghanistanThe Soviet Union got involved in a long war with the Islamic country Afghanistan in 1979. The Soviets supported and tried to modernize Afghanistan. This would mean social reforms and land redistribution; reducing power of landlords. This threatened Islamic tradition so warlords took up arms against the government. Soviet troops would fight the mujahedin. American government started sneaking weapons to the mujahedin. This made many deaths,few wins and high cost for the Soviets. -
Soviet Union Falls
soviet flag At the time, the Soviet Union had a command economy. Stalin was in control of spending and trading which caused lots of frustration because the government didn't focus onthe peoples needs. The Soviets were put to shame when they went to war with the Afghans because the U.S. helped the Afghans. This hurt the Soviets home front greatly. Mikhail Gorbachev thought he could bring the Soviets back into order but failed and caused the Soviets to suffer even more greatly. It was broken into 12 states.
