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Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was the meeting of the major Allied players during WW2, with the US, the UK, and the USSR. The Conference was meant to achieve and maintain peace after WW2. This did work for until the Cold War started. -
The Creation of the United Nations
The United Nations was created to promote order and maintain International Peace as a stronger, better version of the League of Nations. The United Nations desires to achieve this by attempting to cooperate with countries on social, economic, and ethical problems. Even now, the United Nations still exists. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was another meeting of the Big Three of the Allied Powers to discuss the ends of WW2. They learned from the Paris Peace Conference from 1919 and wanted to avoid mistakes made in 1919. They were planning the peace after WW2. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was President Truman's policy on protecting free countries from the threat of Communism. More specifically, the Truman Doctrine pledged support for democracies against authoritarian threats. The Truman Doctrine was America's foreign policy for the majority of the Cold War. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was a Soviet attempt to block the Western Allied Powers from their sectors of Berlin after WW2. The Allies got past this by Airlifting supplies to their sectors to make sure their people survived. This Blockade only did the Soviets harm, as this action caused the formation of NATO. -
The Creation of NATO.
NATO, formerly North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance between a large amount of Europe alongside the United States and Canada. NATO was created mainly to defend against the growing threat of the Soviet Union. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization still is in effect with the US being the main force behind it. -
Korean War
The Korean War, often referred to as the "Forgotten War" was fought between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea was communist and backed by China, while South Korea was not communist and was backed by America. The Korean War ended with only loss on both sides, neither gained permanent land nor lost any. -
The Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was a political and militaristic effort to overthrow the Cuban Government which lasted five years, five months, and six days. The revolution ousted Fulgencio Batista from the head of state and replaced him with Fidel Castro. This was not an ideal revolution for the United States, as the new government was communist and was extremely close to the United States. -
Creation of The Warsaw Pact / Iron Curtain
The Warsaw Pact was founded by the USSR alongside its allies to counterbalance NATO. However, another reason was to reinforce the Soviet Union's power over Eastern Europe. -
Space Race
The Space Race was a contest between America and Russia to land someone on the moon. The Space Race originated from the arms race such as the advanced ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) but evolved into space challenges such as getting a satellite into space to getting someone into space, etc. America was the first to land someone on the moon, but Russia had won many of the other challenges. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was fought between the North and the South of Vietnam, with the North being supported by the Warsaw Pact and the South being supported by NATO. The conflict lasted nearly 20 years. The North eventually won by destroying the Southern capital. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed plan by the Kennedy Administration to train Cuban exiles to retake Cuba. The US did not want to appear to be involved with the Invasion despite being the main supporter and planner, yet they were found out rather quickly due to news articles and sources. The invasion was a terrible defeat with the majority of the exiles being captured or killed. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a time when the Soviets were providing Communist Cuba missiles and the equipment to build nuclear missile sites and bombers. This was the closest to a nuclear war that is within the history books. The aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis was positive however, as the US and the USSR started to reconsider the Arms race and start towards a mutual agreement to limit nuclear weaponry. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Fall of the Berlin Wall was near the end of the Cold war, when the citizens of East Berlin were protesting the wall for several days. That, and the political changes in Eastern Europe had forced the East Germany government to take down the wall. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The Fall of the Soviet Union was more of a steep tumble as the Soviet Union was falling apart in power and the ability to safely govern its people at an unsafe rate. President Bush realized it would be a lot safer to slow down the decline of the Soviet Union so that a struggling USSR wouldn't metaphorically crush everything in its path to the bottom of the slope. The US negotiated with Gorbachev and Yeltsin, two important Russian Leaders, which lead to a peaceful end to the Soviet Union.