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M.A.D.
M.A.D. stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. This states that in a nuclear war, both countries would destroy each other. -
Truman
Truman was the president of the US during the Korean war. He ordered US support for the war. -
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Cold War Timespan
Period of heightened aggression between the US and the USSR. This resulted in an arms race where both sides wanted to build up their stockpile of nuclear weapons and invent more powerful nuclear weapons. -
Bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The US dropped two nuclear bombs, the first of their kind, on two Japanese cities to quickly end the Pacific Theater of WWII. This introduced a new technology, and led to an arms race between the US and the USSR to make more and stronger nuclear bombs. -
Novikov Telegram
A telegram sent by the Soviet ambassador in the US. The telegram detailed exaggerated claims on how the US viewed the Soviet Union. -
The Long Telegram
A telegram sent by the US ambassador in the Soviet Union. It detailed how the Soviet Union viewed the US and capitalism. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was enacted by President Truman. It said that the US would provide military, political, and economic aid to democratic nations that are being threatened by communist nations. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall plan was enacted to provide aid to Western Europe. The plan mostly provided economic aid. -
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The Berlin Airlift
The USSR attempted to blockade Berlin, and starve the city to try and turn them to communism. The US and its allies started transporting food and supplies to the city through the air. This was a massive effort and was successful. Berlin's mayor did not turn to communism. -
NATO
NATO was a treaty between western European and 2 North American countries. It was a military alliance. -
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The Korean War
The Korean war was a war between North Korea and China against South Korea and the US. North Korea adopted a communist government while South Korea did not want to become a communist nation. The US fought on the side of South Korea to prevent the spread of Communism. Communism did not spread to South Korea. -
US/UN Coalition forces arrive.
The US and UN provided support for South Korea in the war. South Korea was fighting to save their democracy, and the US supported their efforts. -
Krustchev
Krustchev was the leader of the Soviet Union when the Berlin Wall was built. He was in favor of building the Berlin Wall to stop the brain drain in the Soviet Union. -
Warsaw Pact
A treaty between the USSR and other soviet states. It was a defense treaty. -
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Space Race
A race between the US and the Soviet Union on who could shoot something into space first. The USSR sent something into space first, but the US had the first man on the moon. -
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Vietnam War
A War between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The US joined and fought for South Vietnam to try and prevent the spread of Communism. The War was televised and led to protests in the US. -
Sputnik Launch
A Soviet Satellite was launched into space. It was the first successful satellite. -
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was the leader of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He wanted the Soviet Union to send aid to help protect the young communist state from the US. -
JFK
JFK was in office during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He successfully navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis by avoiding nuclear war and getting the Soviet Union to remove their missiles from Cuba. -
The Building of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall was built by the USSR to prevent the intellectuals from leaving Communist countries. This is an example of Churchill's iron curtain because it divided Communist and Capitalist countries. -
Cuban Missile Crisis.
The USSR sent intercontinental ballistic missiles to Cuba so that they could launch an attack on American soil. This posed a large threat to the US because it was the first time they could be attacked on their home soil. -
The Start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
China want to to return to its former glory under its leader Mao Zedong. His philosophy was to use China's youth to destroy the old ways of life and the old culture of China, and establish a new way of life. He thought that the youth were the future of China. He turned to Communism to try and help China. -
Nixon
Nixon was the US president during the Vietnam war. He implemented Vietnamization to withdraw US soldiers from Vietnam. -
Vietnamization
Due to the protests in the US, the US government had to pull out their troops in Vietnam. The soldiers were pulled out gradually, and were replaced by south Vietnamese soldiers. -
First man on the moon
The United States put the first man on the moon. Finally beat the Soviet Union in the space race. -
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Soviet-Afghan War
A war in Afghanistan where the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to try and get closer to the oil trade in the Middle East. They claimed that they only invaded for protection against the US. -
Star Wars
A missile defense system proposed by the US. It was never implemented because the technology was too advanced for the time. -
Mujahideem
The Mujahideem was a guerrilla group in Afghanistan. The US provided weapons to the Mujahideem so they could fight the Soviets. -
Commonwealth of Independent States
A treaty signed by the former nations of the Soviet Union after its collapse. Some countries have left the Commonwealth since it was created.