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Formation of the United Nations
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that replaced the League of Nations. Still in use today, it was created after WW2 in order to create and maintain international order and peace. The five permanent members are the Republic of China, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, and the United States. -
Use of Policy of Containment
Truman’s containment policy was a strategy that was hoped to prevent the spread of communism. This policy escalated the cold war because the U.S. openly stated communism was an “evil empire” that they were willing to get rid of. The countries involved were the United States and Soviet Union. -
Truman Doctrine
A doctrine made by the U.S. President Harry S. Truman. This doctrine stated the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat of other forces. Countries that were directly involved were the United States, Greece, Hungary. This doctrine caused tension between the Soviets and Americans, since communism was the main threat to these nations. -
Creation of State of Israel
After years of fighting between the Jews and Arabs over the “promised land,” the United States finally interferes when Truman takes office. The United States soon adopts Resolution 181. This resolution would soon divide the Palestinian mandate into two separate states; one for the Jews and one for the Arabs. This increased tension because Palestinian went to the Soviets for help after the United States took land away from them. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a program that gave Europe over $13 billion dollars in order to regain financial stability again. The Soviet Union viewed the Marshall Plan as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs, and refused to join, which created more tension. The countries involved were the United States, and the European countries they sent money to. -
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Berlin Airlift
American and British pilots delivered food and supplies by airplane to Berlin after the city was isolated the Soviet Union. This airlift prevented West Berlin from falling into the control of the Soviet Union after World War II, which would increase tension since the Soviets couldn't gain power due to the U.S and Britain. The United States, Britain, and Soviet were all involved. -
NATO Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) consisted of Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States. NATO was created to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. It brought together the armies of various countries, which increased tension since they were openly stating they were against communism, the government in which the Soviets were under. -
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Korean War
The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States came to South Korea’s aid whereas the Soviet Union and China came to North Korea’s aid. Neither side won the Korean War. The war actually goes on to this day, since the combatants never signed a peace treaty. -
Warsaw Pact Created
The Warsaw Pact was created as the Communist counteraction to NATO. The treaty was between Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. The treaty was a militaristic threat, a sign of Communist dominance, and served as an opponent to American capitalism. -
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The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War started due to conflict among the communist government of North Vietnam; in which China and the Soviet Union supported and against the government of South Vietnam and its main ally, the United States. The United States and South Korea lost this war. Due to intense attacks the US army retreated and soon fled. The North Vietnamese government then successfully combined North and South Vietnam. -
Berlin Wall is Built
Since East Germans fled to the democratic West, Communist East German authorities built a wall overnight that encircled West Berlin. It cost $25 million dollars to build. Soviet leader Premier Khrushchev gave the German authorities to build the wall, which was very successful at keeping illegal immigrants out. The Berlin Wall symbolized the division of communism and democracy. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
When the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to nuclear conflict due to a direct confrontation between the two powers. When the U.S. failed in trying to get rid of the Castro regime in Cuba, Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union was involved in a secret agreement with Cuban premier Fidel Castro to place Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba to prevent any future invasion by the U.S. -
Camp David Accords
In order to finally have peace, the Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords. These accords would bring a permanent peace agreement between Egypt and Israel after three decades of fighting. They would both would then receive Nobel Peace prizes for their efforts. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The cold war finally begins to end. The reunification of East and West Germany was made official on October 3, 1990. The wall was up for almost an entire year, and the citizens were wild with joy and relief that the cold war would end. The fall of the wall symbolized the fall of the hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
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Soviet Union Dissolves
Eleven Soviet republics (Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) met in the Kazakh city of Alma-Ata and announced that they would no longer be part of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had officially fallen because Soviet Gorbachev had made so much reforms. Gorbachev was upset by the new state of his nation and resigned from office on December 25. -
Implementation of Perestroika and Glasnost
Gorbachev’s revolutionary program of “perestroika and glasnost” -which means restructuring and openness- caused the communist governments throughout Eastern Europe to fall from power. These new ideas finally brought an end to the Cold War. Gorbachev slowed the arms race, reduced the amount of military power the USSR obtained, and discarded positions long held by the Soviets.