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Creation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 and was made up of Canada, the USA, and several Western European countries. It served as a deterrent of USSR expansion and strong nationalist militarism in European Countries to prevent future wars. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union blockaded all forms of transportation entering the areas of Berlin controlled by NATO countries, preventing anything from coming in or out. France, Britain, and the United States launched bombers from Western Europe and dropped supplies, including fuel and food, into West Berlin. -
Beginning of the Korean War
Communist North Korea invaded Democratic South Korea to attempt to forcefully make them a communist state. NATO forces entered the war on the side of the South, and the USSR and China supported the North. After 3 years of fighting, the two sides agreed to stop fighting and the Demilitarized zone was created, an area separating North and South Korea that still exists to this day. -
End of the Korean War
Communist North Korea invaded Democratic South Korea to attempt to forcefully make them a communist state. NATO forces entered the war on the side of the South, and the USSR and China supported the North. After 3 years of fighting, the two sides agreed to stop fighting and the Demilitarized zone was created, an area separating North and South Korea that still exists to this day. -
Creation of the Warsaw Pact
A collective defense alliance between the USSR and the communist countries of Eastern Europe. This treaty made it much harder for any efforts to liberate Eastern European countries from Soviet rule to be effective. -
Beginning of the Vietnam War
Attempting to stop the spread of communism, the United States and other NATO countries declared war on North Vietnam, which was trying to spread communism to the south. The North, which was supported by the USSR, eventually won when they conquered Saigon in April 1975. -
Launch of Sputnik
The USSR launched a small satellite into Earth’s Upper atmosphere. This was significant because it was the first object to be successfully launched into space by humans, and meant that the USSR was ahead of the United States in the space race. -
Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall was constructed by the East in 1961 to prevent citizens of East Germany from entering West Berlin, and vice versa. It was defended very heavily with barbed wire and military/police forces. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
An American U-2 spy plane confirmed the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. Then the United States blockaded the Caribbean Sea to prevent anymore warheads from being delivered to Cuba and demanded that existing Soviet warheads in Cuba be dismantled and returned to the USSR. -
Moon Landing
The United States successfully landed 2 men on the moon for the first time, a major achievement in the space race, giving the United States an edge in the space race that is still maintained to this day, with no other countries successfully executing a moon landing. -
End of the Vietnam War
Attempting to stop the spread of communism, the United States and other NATO countries declared war on North Vietnam, which was trying to spread communism to the south. The North, which was supported by the USSR, eventually won when they conquered Saigon in April 1975. -
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
East Germany announced that on November 9th, 1989, Citizens of the east and west would be allowed to pass through their borders again, and in preparation, the Berlin wall was torn down by local citizens.