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Cold War Era (disputed)
Although debated by historians, the Cold War is generally regarded to end when the Berlin Wall is finally removed. Some can argue that it began when we started the nuclear arms race at the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was the first modern humanitarian effort that utilized aircraft as a direct method of deliverance. Soviets blockaded all methods of transit in and out of Berlin. The USAF and RAF dropped food, coal and medical supplies. The Berlin Airlift was a turning point because the Allies were standing up to Russia's antagonizing attitude toward the West and set the stage for future more hostile conflict. http://www.britannica.com/event/Berlin-blockade-and-airlift -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Reconnaissance photographs revealed nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba by the USSR. Fidel Castro was in power during the crisis and was allied with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. President Kennedy ordered the SAC to DEFCON 2. The Cuban Missile Criss was a turning point because it proved that the USSR would go to extreme lengths to counteract American aggression across the world such as in Turkey. -
The Fall of Saigon
United States and South Vietnamese forces leave Saigon after North Vietnamese forces and Viêt Cong overrun the city. The two main combatants in this conflict are the United States and North Vietnamese Forces. The event took place in the capital of the Southern Vietnamese government of Saigon. As guerrilla warfare took place in the jungles, the American forces were slowly pushed back to Saigon. This is a turning point in the world because it displayed that communism can fall in other countries. -
The Velvet Revolution and the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Towards the end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, unrest grew. A two hour general strike involving 75% of the population took place on November 27, 1989 after several protests and minor strikes. Two days later, Communist rule officially ended. The first non-communist government was officially sworn in on December 10. Subsequently, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 when leaders were unable to create a plan for coexistence.
