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Alignment
Alignment is the action taken by most countries during the cold war. countries with matching ideologies to either Stalin's Communist Soviet union, or a variety of Presidents' capitalist western world, were forced to choose sides. -
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Non-Alignment
The Non-Alignment movement was a movement taken by countries such as Tito's Yugoslavia, Nasser of Egypt, and Nehru of India. Aswell as many African countries -
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Deterrence
Much like Mutually assured destruction, Deterrence is the strategy used by powerful countries to avoid international conflicts. Having specialised weaponry such as nuclear powered weapons evokes fear in other countries, deterring them from even attempting an attack. -
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Expantionism
Stalin's Soviet Union started to influence other countries in the surrounding area. He wished to grow communism to a point that could not be stopped. -
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Containment
The weatern answer to expansionism, rather than trying to expand their influence, the US and their western allies were charged with the task of limiting the expansion of eastern values. -
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Spheres of Influence
Stalins Russia, and the United States of America, (the superpowers) had the control of many other countries. the countries were forced to choose sides. these groups of countries under the controll of the superpowers, were called Spheres of Influence. -
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Brinkmanship
Brinkmanship is the act of pushing things to the limit, to the point where it becomes dangerous. Events of high tension that are taken to the brink. -
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Detente
The release of high tension after a time of high stress. -
Yalta
Franklin Delanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Stalin, all met in person to negotiate post war peace after Germany's surrender. Yalta had a large part in starting the cold war, as none of the participants felt completely satisfied with the results of the meeting. Yalta was a leading factor in the occupation of germany, the rights to many parts of liberalism were lost by german citizens. -
Truman Doctrine
An american foreign policy introduced by Harry Truman. a policy that allows the U.S. government to give foreign aid to those affected by the soviet union, in order to have them owe something to America. Adding fuel to the fire of an already blooming war, the Truman Doctrine made America an even more liberal state. Helping other countries in need and in turn, helping themselves. This only aggrivated the Soviets and sparked greater future retaliation from them. -
Potstam
Held in potstam germany, Harry truman, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill all met to discuss how to handle germany, and how to divide reparations. This confrence would determine the structure of the Cold War. it changed liberalism in Germany by determining how much money in reparations Germany would need to pay and influencing their economy . -
Hiroshima
Killing over 100,000 people, the bombing of Hiroshima was the US's way of sending a very important message to Japan. Being part of the first nuclear attack ever, it showed the entire world that the United States was not a force to be taken lightly. This event was when the war became real. It had no real effect on the way that the world lived, but definetly changed the way they think. Liberalism had no real change. -
Nagasaki
As a way to phsycologically demonstrate the power of the USA, Harry truman decided to drop a plutonium bomb on the city of Nagasaki. Being part of the first nuclear attack ever, it showed the entire world that the United States was not a force to be taken lightly. This event was when the war became real. It had no real effect on the way that the world lived, but definetly changed the way they think. Liberalism had no real change. -
Molotov Plan
Russia's answer to the Truman Doctrine. In order to keep countries on the side of Communism and the Soviet Union, Staline implimented a plan to provide foreign aid to keep smaller, less prosperous countries on the side of communism. Liberalim was lost even further by the citizens of the Soviet Union as their money was being spent in other counries. The Molotov Plan changed the cold war in the sense that it became a tit for tat contest. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall plan was an aid benefit given to European countries regardless of their standing with the Soviet Union. The US did this in order to one up the SU, further solidifying the tit for tat theme of the war. liberalism was mostly affected at home as the hard earned money of US citizens was being used in war rather than things like education. -
Brussels Treaty
The Brussels treaty was a defence treaty signed by Brittain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemburg. The object of this treaty was to show the US that cooperation was possible, and intise them into playing a role in the defence of western Europe. This treaty united the western allies and further deloped liberalist ideas in hopes of overtaking Communist ideologies. -
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Berlin Blockaid
The soviet union Blocked of the western (capitallist) sector of Berlin, cutting off trade from the rest of Germany. It drastically limited the liberalistic qualities of life in Berlin. The targeted supply cut off became a strong strategy used for the duration of the war. If citizens dont have food, the allies must act, causing further conflict in an already messy war. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
An alliance of all countries near the Atlantic Ocean, including 28 European countries, 2 North American countries, and even one Asian country. If one of these countries were to be attacked, all of the other countries within the alliance would be required to defend them. NATO, meant to secure the liberty of the west, somewhat lessens the liberty of said citizens by requiring assistance in conflicts otherwise unrelated to them. -
Soviet Creation Of Nuclear Weapons
The Soviets tested nuclear weapons, changing the course of war as we knew it. Now that the east and the west had nuclear weaponry, neither of them could use it without facing serious worldwide consiquenses such as nuclear devistation. any threat made from either side of the war was to be taken much more seriosly than before, making the liberation of some countries even easier. -
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Korean War
The Korean was was a conflict lasting three years between the communist North Korea, and the capitalist South Korea. After being invaded by North Korea, the United States began to fear the spread of communist ideologies even more than they did before. The Korean war was a battle that was lost in the sence that North Korea was created and is to this day, a scary force to deal with. This was a very real loss for liberalism -
Stalin's Death
Stalins death brought fourth a new generation of russian politics. a fresher, looser version of Soviet communism was a result of the transfer of power after Stalin's death. Liberation was just around the corner as the next soviet leader was much more drawn to the idea of freedom for his country. -
Warsaw Pact
The soviet answer to NATO... the countries under the influence of the Soviet union were obligated to deffend eachother in times of war. increasing the safety of soviet alligned countries, and granting them even more liberalism by removing worry of invasion without protection. -
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Vietnam War
A conflict in Veitnam, Laos, and Cambodia, ending in the fall of Saigon. Fought by North and South Vietnam, the Vietnam war was fought in order to contain the spread of communism. The effort lasted 20 years, but resulted in ending where the war began. this unsatisfactory war, cost both sides, peoples lives, money, and more. liberalism was not significantly affected by this struggle. -
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Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian revolution was a revolt against the Soviet government. They did not wish to be alligned with the Soviet Union or their communist ideologies. This step in the direction of liberalism was a largely significant one as other countries would be inspired to follow suit. -
Norad
A satellite defence system developed by Canada and the United States, meant to warn of any danger entering the country by air. This safety feature meant citizens could finally sleep again. it had no real affect on the war, as it was not used during it. citizens gained no rights, but they were now free from the constant fear of not knowing. -
Fidel Castro
Castro had an important role in cuba during a large part of the cold war. He became Primeminister of Cuba after Batista. He was severly disliked by the United States, and many Cubans, after leading a communist revolution. He brought upon himself and his country, the largest event in the cold war, the Cuban Missile Crisis. As a dictator, he was against the notion of liberalism, and did what was within his power to remove it. -
Bay of Pigs
A failed landing operation on the coast of cuba by exiles who opposed the revolution. This failure meant no change in liberalism, and only aggrivated an already furious dictator and war became even more violent. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall divided the east and west of Berlin, separating families, friends and people from their work. The berlin wall was a deminstration of what the soviets were truely capable and willing to do to win the war. The citizens had no controll over this restriction being brought upon them. a near complete loss of liberalism. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Nikita Khrushchev orders missile withdrawl from cuba after 13 days of intense waiting and negotiating. this event was arguably the climax of the Cold War. On the brink of complete nuclear devestation, no one pushes the button and there is no change in the way society veiwed liberalism. -
Nuclear Arms Treaty
Non Proliferation treaties, signed nearing the end of the cold war are what keep us safe from complete world unrest and devistation. They deny the right to use nuclear force on one country, as it would result in the end of the wolrd as we know it. The US, Soviet Union, Brittan, and many more countries have all signed a treaty aggreeing not to activate their nuclear weaponry. More importantly, citizens were no longer in fear of being attacked with nuclear weaponry. -
Solidarity in Poland
The first independent trade union in the Warsaw pact to be recognised by the state. It contributed to the fall of communism greatly, because it allowed Poland to generate incoming and outgoing revenue while building alliance with the western world. A show of liberalism in a country that once feared retaliation for this exact type of encounter. -
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Afghanistan/Soviet War
Mostly faught in Afghanistan, The Mujahideen and other smaller groups fought against the Afghanistan and Soviet millitaries for a decade. The United States supported the Mujahideen in their efforts to overthrow the communist government. the soviets wished that the Mujahideen would surrender but that was not the case. the government was stopped and liberalism prevailed. -
Berlin wall falling
Civil unrest pressured east germany to remove restrictiions on travel between east and west germany. this was the first step in ending the cold war. The people living in berlin were finally free to live again. liberty was restored. -
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Czechoslovakian Revolution
The smooth and non violent transition of power in Czechosokvakia. the fall of the one party communist government, meant democracy in Czechoslovakia. Liberalism prevailed and the soviets lost yet another country. The war was basically won for the west. -
End of the Cold War
After the Berlin Wall came down, the only thing left for the soviets to do was give up. The SU dissolved itself and became a series of reepublics. Liberalism had prevailed at last.