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Stalin
Leader of Soviet Union, killed a lot of his own people and was hated by the world. -
Period: to
The Cold War
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United Nations
Group of 50 Nations that met in San Francisco to draft a charter. played a bigger role in world affairs that led to the League of Nations -
Iron Curtain
idealogical barrier that separated Eastern Europe from NATO countries.
helped showed how great Churchill was as a leader and further divided Europe -
Truman Doctrine
U.S. policy made to try to contain the spread of Communism.
Eventually led to the Marshall Plan. -
Marshall Plan
Aid package ovvered by the U.S. to Europe to help rebuild. Helped rebuild Europe. -
European Economic Cooperation
organization of European nations set up to give post-war U.S. financial aid. Stimulated trade and cooperation -
The Berlin Airlift
The U.S., Britain, and France all provided supplies for East Germany by plane to fight against Communism during the Berlin Blockade. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
"NATO", military alliance between several North Atlantic states to safeguard them from threat of Soviet communist attack.
Entry of U.S. was gigantic commitment -
Peoples Republic of China
Communist China in modern Asia. Republic happened after fall of the era of Emporors, split the country. -
Korean War
fued between S. and S. Korea.
Fought until stalemate, we now have N/S Korea. divided Korea at 38th parallel -
Ho Chi Minh
Pres. of North Vietnam.
Helped his country defeat the French. -
Explosion of 1st Hydrogen Bomb
United States tests their first hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands.
Hydrogen bomb leads to the nuclear bomb. -
KGB
Russian "Committee for State Security", (secret police)
hated and feared by everyone in the USSR and also played a huge role in the Cold War -
Geneva Accords
conference that focused on trying to resolve war between French and the Democratic Republic of the Vietnamese. Eventually stated Vietnam's independence -
Khrushchev
Led Soviet Union.
He helped de-Stalinize the USSR -
Vietnam
Country in Southeast Asia, Vietnam War was between Communist North Vietnam and anti-Communist South Vietnam. War lasted longer than U.S. expected and U.S. lost, looked differently to the rest of the world. -
Warsaw Pact
mutual defense alliance between Soviet Union and seven satellites in Eastern Europe.
Had better weapons than NATO -
Suez Canal/Nasser
Nasser (Pres. of Egypt) nationalized the Suez Canal.
Suex Canal is the main sea route from Europe to Pacific. Important trade route -
Sputnik
First Satellit to orbit the Earth, launched by Soviets. Milestone in the "Space Race" between U.S. and Soviets -
The Berlin Wall was Erected
The Berlin Wall was a literally wall, guarded by armed guards. It was made to split East Germany and West Germany so that citizens of East Germany would not create a socialist agenda. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Altercation (no fighting) between U.S. and Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba. Eventually, U.S. politically overpowered Soviet Union to avert nuclear war -
Brezhnev
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Global influence of the Soviet Union greatly increased during his rule, but also marked the beginning of an era of economic stagnation that eventually led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. -
Tet Offensive
massive offensive by Communist Guerillas against South Vietnamese and American forces on Tet.
Turned Americans against involvement in Vietnam. -
Helsinki Accords
agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland by Western European countries.
Helped end the Cold War by producing a document that eased tensions -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
diplomatic crisis between Iran and U.S., 52 Americans were held for 444 days.
known as a "pivital episode" in U.S.-Iranian relations, stressed tensions. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan was fought between Afghani rebels called the "Mujahideen" and the Soviet supported Afghanistan government. eventually led to the Geneva Accords -
Moscow Olympics
U.S. boycotted Moscow Olympics after the Soviet Invasion os Afghanistan.
Only time U.S. ever boycotted Olympics and further strained relations -
Lech Walesa and Solidarity Movement in Poland
Movement to separate Poland from Soviet Union.
first successful movement to separate Soviet satellite state from the USSR -
Los Angeles Olympics
Almost 6,800 athletes came to LA Olympics in summer of 1984, but the Russians boycotted the event. This strained relations further -
Perestroika + Glasnost
Gorbachev's policies of overness.
Soviets planned to part Iron Curtain with these policies -
Chernobyl
The Chernobyl disaster occurred in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities of the Soviet Union.
Worst nuclear accident ever and was 100x more powerful than atomic bombs that were dropped on Nagasaki and HIroshima -
Tiananmen Square
public plaza at the center of China's capital, Beijing. This is where the people of China stood up to their government inder Mao Zedong for the first time -
Gorbachev
Pres. of Soviet Union, creates glasnost and perestroika -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
The Berlin Wall was torn down after the euphoric liberalization of the citizens of East Germany. The officials allowed them to visit West Germany after many radical political changes in 1989, and eventually there was no use for the wall. -
Yeltsin
Pres. of Russia.
First Pres. of Russia ever. -
End of USSR
Soviet Union disbanded into 15 different countires. Gorbachev resigns and Yelstin is new Pres.
Symbolized the end of the Cold War -
Putin
Pres. of Russia.
regained political and economic stability in Russia
