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United States Declares Independence
When the United States delcared independence in 1776, it officially became its own sovereign state. This meant that the US had to start managing its own domestic, and international affairs. The United States' declaration of independence is significant because it established the US as a sovereign country that had to manage its own affairs. Negotiating a friendly alliance with France (and other nations) was the top goal of US foreign policy at the time of the revolution. -
Jay's Treaty
Jay's Treaty was the result of an important diplomatic negotiation between the US and UK. The treaty, however, had a mixed response from the public. In exchange for removing a number of forts from US soil, the UK demanded that all US cargo ships trade with the UK over France (the UK and France were at war at the time). Americans felt that the treaty violated US sovereignity, and they felt that the UK would use the treaty to 'impress' more civilians into the Royal Navy. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair was a diplomatic scandal that rocked John Adam's presidency. In the late 1790s, US relations with France were rapidly deteriorating as the US tried to establish better relations with the UK. To improve relations, Adams sent three diplomats (X, Y, and Z) to France to negotiate a better relationship. However, the French foreign minister demanded a bride and a gigantic loan for France from the US if negotiations were to start. The US diplomats left France, starting the Quasi War. -
Lousiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a giant deal negotiated between the United States and France during 1803. At the time, the French were dealing with the harsh effects of the Haitian Revolution, and the new French leader, Napoleon was eager to focus on his conquests in Europe. When the Americans offered their 10 million dollar deal for New Orleans, the French counter-offered all of their land in the Louisiana Territory for a lump sum of 15 million. -
Chesapeake Incident
The Chesapeake Incident occurred in 1807, when the British attempted to overtake the US frigate, The Chesapeake, a mere 10 miles off the coast of Virginia. The captain of the British ship demanded that The Chesapeake hand over four alleged deserters of the royal navy who were hiding on the ship. The Americans refused, and the British attacked. The incident is known for being a catalyst for the War of 1812 by dampening relations between the US and UK. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent is significant because it ended the War of 1812. The treaty outlined a "status quo antebellum," between the US and UK, which meant that neither country would gain nor lose any territory. Another interesting tidbit about the treaty is that the largest American victory in the war, the Battle of New Orleans, occured a month after the treaty was signed (no troops in New Orleans had learned about the peace treaty yet, thansk to slow communication). -
Rush-Bagot Treaty
This treaty between the US and UK limited naval action for both parties on the Great Lakes. It was signed in the aftermath of the War of 1812. The treaty would contribute to creating a friendly border between the US and future Canada. -
Monroe Doctrine
One of the most defining polices of American foreign relations, the Monroe Doctrine was a very influential policy for more than 100 years. Simply, the Monroe Doctrine states that no European powers should meddle with North nor South American affairs, but that the US did because it was the major power in the region. The policy was created to protect US political and economic interests in the region. -
Texas Annexed
Texas was an area of Mexico with a large white/American population. Resistant to Mexican dictator Santa Anna, Texas revolted and declared itself independent from Mexico in 1842. A few years later, the US annexed Texas, and admitted it to the Union as a slave state. The annexation of Texas is significant because it was a major factor that led up to the Mexican-American War. -
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 is significant because it ended a political and territorial dispute between the US and UK. The region had been occupied jointly by both the US and UK, but over time each country wanted control over the Oregon region. The US demanded land up to the 54th parallel. To avoid conflict, both parties agreed on making the 49th parallel the border of compromise. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is significant because it brought an end to the Mexican-American War. With the treaty, Mexico ceded a very vast portion of its territory to the US, including ares like California, Nevada, Uah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas. In return, the US paid Mexico $15 million for the ceded territory. The US was criticized for taking advantage of Mexico by seizing so much land for a tiny payofff. -
Ostend Manifesto Incident
The Ostend Manifesto is important because it was a secret plan backed by the South that would justify the United States's acquisition of Cuba from Spain. In the 1850's, the South not only looked Westward for slavery expansion, but also to the Caribbean as well. Cuba was very close to Florida, and would be a very profitable territory, if it were taken over, because of the ample sugar farming land. The manifesto also justified war with Spain if they did not accept the deal offered by the US. -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is notable because it added new territory to the United States in the desert Southwest, specifically in Arizona and New Mexico. The region was bought by James Gadsden, the US minister to Mexico at the time for 10 million dollars. The main goal of the Gadsden purchase was to provide land for the construction of a Southern transcontinental railroad. However, ultimately, the transcontinental RR was built on a Northern route instead. -
William Walker's escapades in Nicaragua
William Walker is important for his very interesting interactions with the Central American country of Nicaragua in the 1850's. In the United States, Southern states were eyeing the Caribbean as a place to expand, and gain more slave territories. Cuba was their main focus, but in the 1850's, American adventurer William Walker gained control over the Nicaragua and tried to the US, but his attemps failed, and he was executed in Honduras in 1860. -
Alaskan Purchase
The US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. The territory was vast and cold, which lead many to believe that its purchase was a waste of money (Seward's Folly). However, the discovery of gold, minerals, and oil in Alaska would later compensate for its pricetag. -
Mahan Promotes Imperialism
In 1890, Alfred Thayer Mahan published "The Influence of Sea Power upon History." The book famously compared a nation's greatness with it's naval power (eg, Britian), and Mahan advocated US expansion so that it could obtain tactitcal naval and military bases abroad. To the US, islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean seemed most appealing, plus, access to Pacific ports also gave teh US access to Asian markets. -
Bloodless Coup in Hawaii
In 1893, after being crippled by the McKinely Tariff, white sugar farmers overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy led by Queen Liluokalani. While no blood was shed during the revolt, there was outrage among native Hawaiians over the coup d'état. The sugar farmers then created the Republic of Hawaii and called on the US to annex the territory. However, newly inagurated President Grover Cleveland refused to annex Hawaii during his presidency, and Hawaii was later put under US control in 1898. -
Treaty of Paris/Spanish-American War Ends
This treaty formally ended hostilities between the United States and Spain after the Spanish-American War. In this treaty, Spain ceceded the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States in return for a $20 million dollar payoff. The treaty is significant because it established the US as a stronger imperialist power, now with multiple territories overseas. -
Open Door Policy in China
The "Open Door" policy was a US policy for all nations to respect free trade in China and not take control of it's territory. The policy was implemented so that the US could gain some economic leverage, as many other European powers had already managed to acquire large spheres on influence in China. Britain had control of Hong Kong, Germany leased another port and nearby province, Russia was building a railway through Manchuria, and even Portugal had managed to get control of Macao. -
Panamanian Revolution/Panama Canal
In 1903, Philippe Bunau-Varilla led a revolution in Panama, which at the time was part of Colombia. While the United States did not directly encourage the revolt, many in the government were secretly supportive of the revolution, mainly because it would give the US a chance to construct a canal through the isthmus of Panama. Once Varilla managed to achieve Panamanian independence, and he quickly became an ambassador to the United States. Three years later, the US began construction of a canal. -
Roosevelt Corollary
In his State of Union Address in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt outlined that European Powers should not meddle with affairs in the Western Hemisphere. However, the US had permission to interfere with foreign affairs when smaller nations in Latin American or the Caribbean could not manage their debts. This claim was directed at Cuba when the US ended it's occupation of the island nation in 1902. -
Treaty of Portsmouth
Russia and Japan went to war over Manchuria, and area of northern China, in 1904. Wishing to stop the war, President Theodore Roosevelt called both parties together for negotiations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1905. Through diplomacy, Roosvelt managed to bring an end to the war via the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. President Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his efforts in neogtiating peace between the Russia and Japan. -
Dollar Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomacy was a foreign policy tool that the US used to try and manipulate the governments of Latin American nations. The tactic involved the US establishing economic control over poorer nations using loans and credit. The US would use Dollar Diplomacy to protect it's interests, as in Nicaragua in 1912, when the US backed insurgents for their own economic interest. -
WWI Begins
In June, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo. His assassination sparked WWI, as Austria, outraged over the Archduke's death, declared war on Serbia. Russia, allied with Serbia, declared war on Austria. Germany subsequently declared war on Russia and France. Germany also invaded tiny Belgium in order to attack France, which ended up dragging the UK into the war. -
Lustiania Sunk
The Lustiania was a British passenger ship that was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U-boat submarine. About 1200 people died, including 128 Americans. The incident outraged Americans, and President Wilson demanded that Germay pay reparations to the US for the loss of it's citizens. Wilson's 'harsh' handling of the incident later caused the Secretary of State William Jennings Byran to resign from office. -
Sussex Pledge
In March 1916, a German U-Boat sank the French passenger ship, the Sussex, in the English Channel. The attack injured American civilians, and prompted Wilson to break diplomatic relations with Germany. Germany responded with the "Sussex Pledge," in which they promised not to attack merchant vessels without warning and to restrict their submarine warfare. The pledge was broken a few months later. -
Zimmerman Telegram
In February 1917, the British intercepted a telegram sent by a German diplomat (Arthur ZImmerman) to Mexico. In the note, Zimmerman outlined that if Mexico declared war on the US, they could recover their lost territories from the Mexican-American War. The telegram infuriated the American public, and the telegram is seen as a major catalyst for the US's entry into WWI. -
Wilson's 14 Points
President Wilson's famed '14 Points' speech simply summed up the US's goals for WWI. Many of his points advocated breaking up the Austrian-Hungarian and Ottoman empires into smaller, sovereign states based on ethnicity (eg, a Macedonian state, a Romanian state). Other points advocated free seas, free trade, and the creation of a "League of Nations," and international body that would theoretically prevent further world conflicts. Wilson's 14 Points solidified US support for the war. -
Peace Conference/Treaty of Versailes
During the Paris Peace Conference, the 'Big Four' (the leaders of the US, UK, France, and Italy) negotiated over a treaty that would bring a rightful end to WWI. However, each country had different agendas for the meeting. Britian and France wanted to punish Germany severely for their losses in the war, while the US (namely Wilson), wished for a more peaceful, less harsh, treaty. In the end, Germany was harshly punished for the war, and the US senate failed to ratify the treaty. -
Independent Internationalism
During the 1920's, the US's foreign policy was based on independent internationalism, the idea the US should stay out of all international affairs unless it was in its own economic interests. Calvin Coolidge sent marines to Nicaragua in order to put down a rebellion and save the US's gold mining interests in the country. -
Washington Naval Arms Conference
When WWI ended, the US, UK, and Japan entered a naval arms race. Each country stockpiled on naval arms, and a conflcit could have arose if it were not for the Washington Naval Arms Conference. The conference was attended by the US, UK, France, Japan, and a few other nations. Negotiations limited how many warships a country could construct, and pledges were made to halt battleship construction. The US and Japan also pledged to respect each other's territories in the Pacific. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was a treaty signed by the US, France, and more than 60 other nations. The pact is famous for 'outlawing' war between countries. However, while the treaty seemed impressive, it had no reinforcement. The treaty merely expressed the dream of world peace, and this dream would not be a reality for long, as WW2 began about a decade later. -
Good Neighbor Policy
The Good Neighbor Policy was a shift in US foreign policy in Latin America. FDR took an isolationist foreign policy stance similar to that of Herbet Hoover's. Unlike his former relative TR, FDR aimed to scale back US policies overseas, and focus on more domestic issues (eg, like rebuilding the economy). Latin American countries favored the policy, but it also created a new 'battlefront' of the Cold War. A lack of US influence in the region later helped some countries become communist. -
Neutrality Acts of 1935, 36, and 37
The Neutrality Acts were a series of bills passed in the 1930s that were aimed at keeping the US out of any possible foreign conflicts. The bills outlawed weapon sales and bank loans to any countries at war, and they also prohibited US citizens from traveling on belligerent nations ships (to avoid events such as the Lusitania indcident from occuring again). -
Ludlow Amendment Proposal
Indiana Congressman Louis Ludlow proposed a constitutional amendment which called for a national referendum before the US entered any war, except in situations in which the US was attacked first. The amendment was put down by a very close vote in Congress. The proposal is significant because it highlighted the anti-war sentiments in the US, and even if the amendment were passed, the US would have still entered WWII. -
Cash and Carry Act
The Neutrality Act of 1939, also known as the Cash and Carry Act, was a revision to the previous Neutrality Acts passed in the mid 30s. The Cash and Carry acted allowed for the US to sell weapons to foreign nations (to help its economy..?), but only if the buyer nation paid in cash and took the weapons away on its own ships. -
"Destroyers for Bases" Agreement
The "Destroyers for Bases" deal was a negotiation between the US and Great Britain in wake of the outbreak of WWII. The US agreed to give the UK fifty of its older warships in exchange for leases on British bases in the Western Hemisphere. The British needed the ships to fight the Germans in the Atlantic and North Sea, as German U-boats had once again crippled the British navy. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was a bill passed in Congress that "indirectly" supported Alllied nations at war by "lending" resources and materials to ensure US security. The bill caused controversey among fierce isolationists, who argued that the the premise of "leasing materials" was foolish. Senator Robert Taft compated the act to a piece of chewing gum, "Once it's been used, you don't want it back." -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a statement issued by FDR and Winston Churchill that essentially stated the US's and UK's goals for WWII (although the US wasn't officially fighting yet). In the document, FDR and Churchill condemned the Axis's hostility, endorsed self determination, preached for free trade, and advocated disarmament. By this time in 1941, US escorts to British ships had permission to fire on Axis vessels in the Atlantic. The Atlantic Charter was simply another step in the march to war. -
Pearl Harbor
On 'the day that will live in infamy," Japanese forces launced a surprise attack on US forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack caught the US totally off guard, and the Japanese killed more than 2000 Americans. Heavy damage was done to the US Pacific fleet, as 8 battleships, plus many other vessels, were either sunk or destroyed while docked in harbor. The attack led the US to declare war on Japan, and ther other Axis countries of Italy and Germany followed in suite. The US had entered WWII. -
Casablanca Conference
The Casablanca conference was the first of many meetings between the "Big Three" allied powers, and their respective leaders (Stalin, FDR, and Churchill). At Casablanca, negotiations were made over how to handle the next phase of the war. The Allies adopted the policy of 'unconditional surrender," in which their forces would not stop fighting until the enemy was completely crushed. Plans were also made to divert German attention and forces from Russia by invading Italy. -
Tehran Conference
The Tehran Conference was another important series of negotiations between the US, USSR, and UK, over how to move forward in the war. At this time, the Soviets had mounting casualties on their front lines, and pushed the US/UK to open a new second front in Europe. To aid the Soviets, the US/UK began to craft together plans that would eventually become D-Day. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a series of negotiations between the "Big Three" (FDR, Churchill, and Stalin), about how to handle the war from this point forward. The Allies had pushed deep into Germany held territory, and a game plan was in needed. At Yalta, Stalin promised ot help fight Japan after the USSR crushed the Berlin. Stalin also promised to allow "free elections" in liberated Eastern European countries. The Allies also made plans on forming the UN, and on managing Germany after surrender -
VE-Day
The war in Europe officially ended on this day when Germany surrended. In the last few days, Soviet forces had marched into Berlin, and Adolf Hitler. fearing the worst in the hands of the Soviets, committed suicide in his bunker on April 30th. The Soviets and Germans fought for another week until Germany surrended on May 8th. Germany's surrender closed the European front of the war, but the war in the Pacific continued to rage onward. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was the last major war conference of WWII. At this conference, deals were made over how to handle post-war Europe, and US President Truman gave a stern warning to Japan that it should surrender soon, or else suffer the consequences of, "prompt and utter destruction." Truman, of course, was alluding to the atomic bomb which had been recently developed by the US. Japan refused, and the atomic bombs were dropped a few days later. -
VJ-Day
On this day in 1945, Japan formally surrended to the United States. The atomic bombs were dropped over Japan a few weeks prior, and Japan accepted the US's surrender conditions on August 14. While the atomic bombs were a controversial tactic, they did end the conflict swiftly and precisely. On September 2, the Japanese signed a formal peace treaty with the US. World War Two was over. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was one of the first deployments of the 'containment' policy tool. Containment, theorized by George Kennan, is simply stopping the spread of communism and/or Soviet influence abroad. In the Truman Doctrine, President Truman highlighted economic support for Greece and Turkey so that they could both fight Communist rebels. The Truman Doctrine is notable for being the first major use act of containment abroad. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a massive economic relief and recovery act implemented by the US to aid post-war countries in Europe. The plan would also double as a way to spread influence against communism in Europe. The plan was created by former Secretary of State George Marshall to fight the "hunger, poverty, and desperation," that led to communist insurgencies. The plan helped rebuild post-war countries like France and the UK, while also spreading US capitalistic influence over Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
As a way to force western influence out of West Berlin, the Soviet Union blocaded the city, cutting off all ground access. To save the Berliners, the US initiated the Berlin Airlift, a practically nonstop delivery of food/supplies to the city. In one year, over 200,000 flights were flown. The airlift was an embarssment to the Soviet Union, which believed that blocading the city would cause the West to abandon it. -
NATO Created
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a IGO spearheaded by the US as a way to counter Soviet influence abroad (specifically in Europe). NATO has a high concentration of European members, the the IGO acted as a unifying body against communism. NATO was involved with a number of military interventions abroad, and the USSR later created the Warsaw Pact as its own counter group to NATO. -
NSC-68
NSC-68 was a top secret policy paper that outlined US foreign policy for the Cold War. The paper took Kennan's containment policy, but essentially put it on steroids. NSC-68 highlighted the need to contain communism more so militarily rather than economically. NSC-68 would take on a greater importance as the Cold War trudged forward, and would dominate the US's foreign policy moves in the 1950s and 1960s (e.g, with Guatemala, Vietnam, Iran, etc). -
Iranian Coup D'etat
The Iranian Coup D'etat occured when the CIA helped overthrow the democratically elected and slightly leftist Iranian government led by Mohammed Mosaddegh. The CIA replaced him with the infamous Shah, a brutal dictator who had pro-American interests. The coup was another instance of containment abroad, but the coup would have serious after effects a number of years later during the Iranian revolution, and the infamous Iran Hostage Crisis. -
Massive Retaliation
Massive retilation is a military tactic developed by former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Massive retaliation is the idea of responding to an enemy attack with massive force. E.g. If the Soviets manually attacked West Berlin, the US would respond a nuclear attack on the USSR. Massive retaliation goes hand in hand with the theory of mutually assured destruction, a situatiion where if one nuclear power attacks another, both will be destroyed because of the others second strike capability. -
Guatemalan Coup D'etat
The coup d'etat in Guatemala was a containment plan inacted by the CIA in 1954. The goal was to overthrow the democratically elected leftist government, led by Jacobo Arbenz, and replace it with a more right-wing government. Part of the reason why the CIA orchastrated the coup in Guatemala was to save the United Fruit Company, a business whose land was seized by the Arbenz government after its takeover. The CIA's activities in Guatemala were one instance of containment abroad. -
U2 Incident
The U2 incident occured when a US Lockheed-U2 spyplane was shot down over the Soviet Union. The pilot, Gary Powers, amazingly survived the crash. The incident was very embrassing for departing President Eisenhower, who initially tried to cover up the incident. The U2 incident is notable for increasing tensions between the US and USSR -
Bay of Pigs Failure
The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed attempt by the US to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The basis of the plan was to send in Cuban exiles to overthrow the government with US air support. The plan was concieved in the Eisenhower administration, but it was JFK who launched the attack. However, JFK did not provide the Cuban exiles with air support, which led to their ultimate capture. The Bay of Pigs invasion is seen as a containment failure, and a major embrassment for the US. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very tense diplomatic face off between the US and USSR. The USSR had negotiated a deal with Cuba, allowing it to place missiles on Cuban soil. U2 spyplanes later discovered the missile sites in Cuba. JFK ordered a naval blocade of Cuba until the USSR removed its missilies. 13 fateful days later, a deal was struck. The USSR would remove its missiles so long as the US did not attack Cuba, and also removed missiles from Turkey. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident/Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resoultion was the US response to the sketchy Gulf of Tonkin Incident, a situation in which the North Vietnamese Army supposedly attacked offshore US warships. LBJ responded by asking Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave him permission to send troops to Vietnam, and use his 'blank check' authority to allocate whatever funds he needed to defending the US and South Vietnam. The resolution is notable for escalating the US's role in the Vietnam War. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a massive surprise attack by Vietcong and NVA forces against US troops in South Vietnam. Deadly for both sides, the Tet Offensive caught US troops off guard. The Tet Offensive also had a major impact on morale at home. US civilians started to doubt the government's transparency about the war, and questioned the effectiveness and progress of the Vietnam War. -
Detente
Detente, or 'reduced tension' was a time of good relations between the US and the big communist countries of the USSR and China. Detente marked the SALT I arms reduction treaty between the US and USSR. During this time, President Nixon also improved US relations in Asia by ending the Vietnam War (after much confusion), and by creating better relations with China. in 1972, Nixon actually visited China, becoming the first US president to do so. -
The SALT treaties
The SALT treaties were the first among many nuclear arms reduction treaties between the US and the USSR towards the latter half of the Cold War. The first SALT treaty was signed in 1974, and a second treaty was planned, but fell through when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Other arms reduction treaties of the time include the ABM treaty, and the INF treaty. All of these negotiations helped to reduce tensions between the superpowers -
Carter Foreign Policy
Carter's foreign policy is most notable for the Panama Canal Treaty, the Camp David Accords, and the end of detente. The Panama Canal Treaty was a deal by which the US would cede control of the Panama Canal to its host country, Panama. The Camp David Accords were a breakthrough negotiation that created good relations between Egypt and Israel. Also during his presidency, Carter had to deal with the fallout of the Iran hostage crisis, and the failure of the SALT II talks with the USSR. -
Operation Cyclone
Operation Cyclone was the name given to a formally covert operation in which the US funded mujahideen forces in Afghanistan. In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan (ending detente), and as a way to counter Russian forces, the US (and other nations) indirectly supplied Afghan rebels, like Ahmed Shah Massoud, with weapons and money. Techincally, the US and its allies gave the funds to neighboring Pakistan, which in turn distrubeted the cash to the rebels in Afghanistan. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a dire diplomatic situation in which the US embassy in Iran was ransacked by Iranian students angry about the US's decesion to let the deposed Shah or Iran into the US for cancer treatment. The students took 52 US hostages, and held them in captivity for 444 days. The crisis ended when US unfroze Iranian assets in US banks (Iran needed the money to fund the Iran-Iraq War). The hostages were released once Reagan was inagurated on January 21, 1980. -
Beirut Bombings
The Beirut Bombings are significant because they were the first major terrorist attack against the US with a Middle Eastern source. In 1983, two trucks laden with explosives drove into US marine barracks and exploded, killing over 220 US peacekeeping forces. A similar attack against the French occured a few minutes later. The attacks compelled President Reagan to withdraw US forces from Lebanon, and they forshadowed a deadly pattern of strikes against the US in years to follow. -
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra affair was a very interesting scandal in the Reagan administration. In a simplified version, US hostages were being held in Lebanon, and the US wanted to see if Iran (ironically) could do something to free them. Through an arms deal, the US sold weapons to Israel, which in turn sold its old weapons to Iran in return for cash and the hostages. To cover it up, government workers, like Oliver North, sent the money to the pro-American contras in Nicaragua, which was against the law. -
Cold War Ends
The Cold War ended when the USSR broke up in 1991. In the last 10 years, the USSR had experienced rapid economic and social changes thanks to former premier Mikhail Gorbrachev's attempts to re-invigorate and loosen the Soviet economy. The later 1980s saw a thaw in the cold relationship between the US and USSR. In 1989, massive anticommunist revolutions broke out across Europe. Later, Germany became reunified. 1991 saw the fall of the Soviet Union, and an end to the Cold War. -
USS Cole Attack/Embassy Bombings
The terrorist/suicide attacks on the USS Cole and US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were perpatrated by members of Al-Qaeda, and both attacks represented a change in how war would be fought. In the aftermath of the attacks, combating terrorist became the US's number one national security threat. Both attacks highlighted the need for the US step up its security policies, but not major policy changed would occur until the aftermath of 9/11. -
9/11 Attacks
The devasting 9/11 attacks were the deadliest (and scariest) terror attacks on US soil. Radical Islamic members of Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes, and flew them into the WTC, and Pentagon (the fourth plane crashed while passengers tried to subdue the hijackers). The attacks pointed out flaws with US national security, and afterward led to the War on Terror.
