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Victory in Europe Day
V-E Day was a day of great celebration. People from all over the world rejoiced at the event. Germany had surrendered which meant the end to a war that had gone on for 6 years. (Militaristic Action) -
Victory in Japan Day (V-J Day)
The Potsdam Declaration was used to call on Japan to surrender. When they failed to do so, the U.S. dropped the world's first and second atomic bombs on two of it's cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The day after the tragedy in Nagasaki, Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered, resulting in the end of World War II. (Militaristic Action) -
The Marshall Plan
The United States offered economic aid to any European country. Over $13 billion was used to help rebuild the economies of those countries after the devastating war. The Soviet Union rejected this plan and viewed it as a way of the U.S. involving itself in the U.S.S.R.'s government. Therefore, only the Western part of Europe benefited from this, and their economy became more stable. (Economic Action/Policy) -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 90% of the city was destroyed and an estimated 80,000 people died along with thousands more from radiation exposure. Three days later the second atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki killing about 40,000 people. (Militaristic Action) -
Space Race
Competition between the two great powers, both trying to prove its greater advancements in technology, became known as the space race. The U.S.S.R. launched the first artificial Earth satellite, the first living animal in space, the first object to land on the moon and the first man in space among other things. As the underdog, the U.S. ultimately "wins" the space race as the country lands the first 2 men on the moon. (Science/Technology) -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
This was a 13-day stalemate between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over nuclear-armed Soviet Missiles on Cuba. As Cuba is only 90-miles from U.S. shores, the U.S. viewed this as a major threat and was prepared to use military force if necessary. This is often referred to as the closet the world ever got to nuclear warfare. This tragedy was bypassed because of an agreement that the Soviet Union would remove the missiles if the U.S. confirmed no intention of invading Cuba. (Militaristic/Political) -
The Berlin Wall is Toppled
The Berlin Wall was constructed in order to cut down on mass emigration, which weakened the economy of East Germany. The wall came down once crowds of people demanded it be brought down and began to cross the border. Some even brought tools to chip away at it. This represents a symbolic moment of the Cold War. (Political)
