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US President Harry S. Truman informs Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin that the United States has nuclear weapons.
This was important because the World War Two was still ongoing and there was worries about after - war tensions or suspicions. When he told Stalin, he did not get the reaction that he expected but he did reach is goal. Which was to let people know who was holding the higher power in the conflict that was ongoing. This also raised the tension bar between the Soviet Union and America. -
Bernard Baruch, in a speech coins the word "Cold War" to describe relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
This is very important because it that man hadn't just thrown the word in his speech the war that was fought for so many years may have had a different name now. It is a huge point in history because American's were tired of the World War and were hoping for some peace, but all they got was another war which was labeled this because it never had any physical battles but was extremely high tension between Soviets and America. -
NATO is formed as a mutual defence organization.
Slide 7 Europe's "Iron Curtain"This is significant because it was the first major group of countries that banded together to help ensure that there was peace and consequences for those who attacked other countries. This was put in place to prevent the kind of scenario that started World War Two. -
The Warsaw pact is signed and put into action today.
The Soviet Union and seven of its European satellites sign a treaty establishing the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defense organization that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces. This is important because it was basically something that was formed to go against NATO and to protect who they wanted to be in power. This literally separated the world into two groups; with America at the top on one and the Soviet Union at the top on the other. -
Sputnik is launched into space by the Soviets, thus starting the Space Race
Slide 10 Space Race This is very important because at the height of the Cold War the Soviets were proving that they were ahead of the game scientifically. This made history all over the world and sparked a fire under the American scientists' butts to get working on getting into space. his is basically how the "war" was fought because it was mostly a power struggle. Sputnik was the first, ever. -
CIA invades the Bay of Pigs unsuccessfully
Slide 13 Bay of Pigs Invasion (Apr '61) This was a very unsuccessfull attack on Cuba done by American's hands. At this time, Fidel Castro the man in power of Cuba became a client with one of America's biggest enemies; Russia.When President Kennedy decided to attack Cuba, Castro already knew they were coming, so it was a very unsuccessful attack. -
Cuban Missile Crisis takes place and invokes fear in Americans.
Slide 17-18 Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct '62)
Soviets constructing launching facilites on Cuban grounds is very scary for Americans as Cuba is 90 miles away from Florida. This was a 13 day period that the Russians and America ever came so close to a nuclear showdown. This is very significant because it truly took a toll on Americans and what was reality in the warfare of this day and age. -
Jack Kennedy is assasinated
Slide 22 LBJ's Great Society
Jack Kennedy was one of the most impactful assasinations that America has faced. There hadn't been one since Abraham Lincoln and it truly shook the nation. This is important because the Americans had to get used to a new president, the former vice president and were in the midst of several other changes in and out of the country as well. -
Apollo 11 lands on the moon.
This is extremely important because it was another stride for America to be ahead of its competition, the Soviet Union. This not only boosted their confidence against the rival, but also gave America another reason why they were literally on top of the world when it came to everything! It really gave science and future scientists a jump start to get really excited for what space has to offer. -
Watergate scandal shocks Americans.
Slide 30 Watergate Burglary and fall of Richard Nixon
This was a very significant event in American history, as it was the first big political scandal that any American had lived through. This was part of a much bigger campaign by members of Nixon's White House staff to secure unfair political advantages over opponents. This is important to cover because it shows there were things going on at home too. -
Miracle on ice happens; Americans beats the Soviets in hockey!
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The Berlin Wall falls officially
This day is the official ending of the Berlin Wall, but the official start day of demolition was June 13, 1990. This is important because it really showed the true communist style of being over-controlling and really unfair to their people. This was something that NATO and America was against, so the fall of the wall was a good step towards more equality among their home countries and the fall of Communism. -
The Soviet Union is abolished. Boris Yeltsin becomes President of Russia.
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from presidency after long years of conflict and when the communist party fell, he fell. There could not be a communist leader for a country that was no longer communist. This is very important because it ended the tension between the two high powers (America and the Soviet Union).
