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Russian Communist Revolution
This is where communism all started. The Bolshevik party (communism) overthrew the government before them (Nicholas II the emperor) . Without the uprising of communism more than likely the Cold War wouldn't have happened when it did. -
Treaty of Versailles
This treaty ended WW1 and punished Germany for their crimes. The punishments we too much for Germany to handle like the War Guilt Clause/ War Reparations. Germany took full blame for everything which caused them to go into hyper-inflation. It cause great anger in Germany, which is one of the main causes of WW2. At the end of WW2 two superpowers arose; United States and the Soviet Union. -
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an early form of the United Nations. It was there to help out the World and to stop potential wars. However three of the most powerful Nations didn't join. One was the US, by choice, and the other two were Germany and Russia becuase of their violence and crimes. It failed on many occasions, and one allowed USSR to invade Poland which allowed them to imperialize and to gain strength so they could have a foothold in the coming wars; WWII and the Cold War. -
Yalta Conference
FDR, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin met to decide what would happen to Germany. Stalin wanted a harsh punishment on Germany and FDR and Churchill was just the opposite. After heated debates they came to the conclusion to split Germany into four sections: Fandce, United States, England, Soviet Union. They split Berlin the same way. This caused tension within Germany between US and USSR. -
United Nations Creation
The UN contains many bodies some of wich are: the General Assembly and the Security Council. The US and USSR could never agree because of the fact that they had two completley different views on the way things should be done! The result of this is the US had to sit back and watch the USSR build more missle and invade new places. -
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials are considered to be the start of international court. These events led to the ratification of the Geneva Convention on the Laws of Customs of War which were largely present through the Cold War and still today. These laws were meant to keep war as humane as possible banning such things as biological weapons. -
First General Assembly
This is where the UN discusses their issues and comes up with solutions to fix them. During the Cold War the General Assembly was divided into Western Europe and the US vs. USSR and Eastern Europe. They couldn't agree on most things becasue on side is for Communism and the other for Capitalism. Because of this the Soviet Union could get away with curtian things allowing them to get stronger. -
Iron Curtain Speech (Churchill)
Famous speech given by Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In this speech he coined the term "Iron Curtain" to describe all of the nations that fell under the control of the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War -
Baruch Plan
This plan called for the US to turn over all nuclear weapons and also called for no nation to produce them and agree to have an inspection done by the United Nations. Russia rejected this plan because tey believed that the UN was dominated by the US. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was ratified on the 12th of March, 1947. The purpose of this document was to stop Soviet expansion during the Cold War. The US urged allied nations to give economic and military support to any nation that was under the threat of Soviet influence. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was created for the aid of Europe. How it work was the US would give nations money and in return the nations would have to buy US goods. The Soviet Union hated this idea because Europe looked towar capitalism instead of communism. So to stop East Europe from leaving USSR they put up the Berlin Wall to stop any influence of capitalism. -
Berlin Airlift
This was considered to be the first international crisis of the Cold War. The Soviet Union initiated a blockade on the City of Berlin, which was split into four sections, in an attempt to force the allies to let only Russia supply Berlin which would essentially put Berlin under Soviet control. -
NATO Creation
NATO was an alliance system between US and Western Europe. There is one flaw with this and it is if one Nation goes to war. So no one wanted the US to go to war with the Soviet Union because World War 3 would take place and nuclear weopons would involved in both sides causing more deaths than ever before. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
During WW2 China formed and alliance with Japan. This means that the Chinese had a communist influence. But it wasn't a sting influence yet and Stalin knew that so he invaded and supported that communist. The communist had their uprising and took control. Now there is a strong relationship between China and the Soviet Union. -
Joseph Mcarthy Speech
There was a great fear of communism spreading in the US due to the war between capitalism and communism. During his speech he warned of communism from within. He called out people that he suspected and listed their crimes and they were kicked out of office. -
Korean War Starts
This war was the first military action to be taken during the Cold War. Troops from North Korea (soviet-backed) came across the 38th parallel, which was the border at the time, into South Korea (Allied). American joined the war out of courtesy and in the end nearly five-million troops and civilians lost their lives. -
Warsaw Pact
This pact was akin to the allied pact otherwise known as NATO. The Warsaw Pact (WarPac) was signed by eight communist states and was in effect during the Cold War. It was stated that the purpose of the pact was to keep peace in Europe, however we know this statement was not honored. -
Sputnik Launch
Sputnik was launch by the Soviet Union and it wasn't much biger than a beach ball but it weighed 184lbs. This caused the Space Race to begin between the United Staes and the Soveit Union. It caused a great fear in the US becuase they had no clue what it was. Now America knows that the Soviet Union is able to launch missiles at the United States. -
Nuclear Detterent
Nuclear Detternet is a way to stop anothe nation from using nuclear weapons by showing them that you can destroy them just the same as they can destroy you. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
It was a failed attempt by the CIA,in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, to stop the uprising of Fidel Castro. Because they failed Castro took power over Cuba and turned them towards communism. -
Fidel Castro Proclaims Communist Cuba
Because of the failed attempt of the Bay of Pigs Fidel Castro took control and turned Cuba towards Communism. This helps with making the Cuba Missile Crisis what it is because Cuba is now allies with the Soviet Union. -
Building of Berlin Wall starts
The wall was built due to the Marshall Plan and was present throughout the Cold War. The wall was contructed by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) because they did not want the inlfuence if East Germany's "anti-fascist" attitude and "...believed that East Germany had not been de-nazified...". -
MAD
The Mutual Assured Destruction Doctrine (MAD) was a policy that stated that for every missile or attack launched on us, we would be able to do the same. It required the US to have second strike capablilites. The date given was the date that the idea of MAD was outlined in a speech. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
This was the closest point to an all out nuclear war that the US and Soviet Union came to during the Cold War. This was a 13 day confrontation in which the Soviet Union was bringing missiles into Cuba and pointed them at the United States. -
U.S. Sends troops to Vietnam
This was a Cold War "proxy war" meaning that this war was an offshoot of the greater conflict. The reason the United States got involved was to protect Vietnam from falling under full communist control. We based our choice to join after the Domino Theory and the Containment Policy enacted by Dwight D. Eisenhower. -
Apollo 11 Launch
The launch and landing of Apollo 11 on the moon is considered to be the greatest achievement during the space race. This proved to Russia that we could keep up with them and beat them. This technology was also used to develop nuclear missiles that could travel through space to reach their target making them, at the time, almsot undetectable. -
Non-Proliferation Agreement
This agreement was put into place to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and weapon technology. It also called for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and is the most honored and most signed disarment treaty to ever be created. -
Kent State Shootings
The Kent State Shooting is in relation to the Vietnam War. The students were protesting the draft and the fact of why the US is involved in a war that doesn't directly affect America. The protest resulted in the death of four people and the rise of many protest all over the county. Eventually the draft ended and the US left the war in Vietnam. -
SALT I
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talk was a way to solve problems with the Cold War with peaceful diplomacy. It was a way to ensure the Arm Race did not get out of hand. The treaty limited how many missiles each Nation could have. -
Fall of Saigon
This marked the end of the Korean War when North Korea captured the capital of South Korea, Saigon.This was a great strenght to North Korea and the Soviet Union beacase it was a victory against South Korea and America because the US backed out and it made them look weak. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was put up in the night to stop the influence of Capitalism in the East Bloc. It stood for 28 years and was a mean of communication from Communsim to Capitalism that they aren't going down without a fight. So the Western side thrived due to the Marshall Plan and the East side struggled agriculturally becuase Stalin wanted them to have great industrial strength. -
Pope John Paul II
His inaguration was different. A different way of inaguration started a little before him. He was one of the very few popes not to be Italian. He was from Poland. Which leads to the fact that during the Cold War he help out the Soviet rule in Poland. This gives the Soviets greater strenght because of the great number of nations under their control. -
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 until 1990. She was believed to play a large part in ending the Cold War. From the time of her taking office to leaving office, the Berlin Wall fell, Eastern Europe was liberated and soon after, the Soviet Union crumbled. -
SALT II
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talk ll is much the same as the firtst one. More treaties were signed. Instead of what types of missiles, SALTl, it was changed to how many strategic launchers and what type of missiles each Nation could have. -
Soviets invade Afghanstan
It's nickname is the Soviet Union's 'Vietnam war'. It took place during a part of the Cold War. Afghanistan's leader was pro-poor which is something communist love to hear so they can step in and take over which was there plan. Jimmy Carter supported the anti-soviet group. It was a battle between the superpowers through Afghanistan -
Deng Xiaoping
Leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 until 1992 during the last leg of the Cold War. He greatly improved living condition for the citizens though he was still a communist. He also opened up trade with some western nations including the US. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The key point in 1989 where the leader of the SED finally allowed legal travel between East and West Berlin. -
Lech Walesa
In a way, this man liberated Poland from communist control. He establshed the ability for workers to unionize and essentially created a democracy in the process. -
START I
Strategic arms control treaty that barred nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads on over 1,600 ICBM missiles. (inter-continental ballistic missile) -
START II
Treaty banning the use of MIRVs and ICBMs.
