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Joseph Stalin
Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union who introduced a command economy and launched a period of industrialization and collectivation. His changed brought a huge change to the USSR. Stalin led the Soviet Union through its post-war, rebuildin stage. HS: Stalin is responsible for turning the Soviet Union into a superpower. -
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization that promtes the safety, growth, and success of the world. The United Nations was founded to replace the League of Nations after World War II so stop wars between countries. HS: The United Nations is important because it helped war shattered countries rebuild. -
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh was the president of Vietnam from September 2, 1945 to September 2, 1969. He was a communist revolutionary leader. He led the Viatnamese independence movement and was a main person in the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. HS: Ho Chi Minh established the communist ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In addition, he perfect guerilla warfare and united nationalism and communism. -
Iron Curtain
On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill gave his Iron Curtain speech. The Iron Curtain was the barrier constructed by the Soviet Union to seal itself and allies off from contact with the noncommunist areas in the west. The east side of the curtain was influence by the Soviets and the west developed their own alliances. HS: The Iron Curtain was the physical symbol of the boundary dividing Europe. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was introduced by President Harry Truman. The document said that the United States would aid Turkey and Greece to keep them from falling into the Soviets. HS: Some consider it to be the start of the Cold War and beginning of the containment policy to stop Soviet expansion. -
Marshall Plan
The United States launched the Marshall Plan to strengthen democratic governments that had been left in ruins after World War II. The United States gave food and economic aid to European countries and helped them rebuild. HS: Helped Europe recover and rebuild its cities and economies. -
European Economic Cooperation
The European Economic Cooperation was an economic organization of 34 countries that was founded to stimulate economic progress and world trade. This cooperation was committed to democracy and the market economy. They compared policy experiences and found answers to common problems. Its goal was to achieve economic growth and maintain financial stability. HS: The Cooperation contributed to economic expansion and expansion of world trade. -
Berlin Airlift
Joseph Stalin tried to force the Western Allies out of Berlin by sealing off every type of transportation into the Western parts of the city. In response, the Western powers launched a round-the-clock airlift that lasted more than a year. HS: This airlift was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was an alliance created by the United States, Canade, and several other Western nations. The nations formed the alliance to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. By being a part of the alliance, if one nation is attacked, the others will help defend them. HS: The entry of the United States was one of the biggest commitments the country had ever made. Also, it symbolized the military movement of U.S. on policy of containment. -
People's Republic of China
After an almost complete victory by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil Way, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China. It is the official name of China and is a communist nation in eastern Asia. HS: This was the first time in decades that the Chinese government was met with peace instead of military opposition. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a conflict between North and South Korea. The war was caused by the political division of Korea by an agreement with the Allies during the Pacific War. During this conflict, the North Korean troops invaded South Korea. Nothing came out of this war. HS: The Korean War was the first confrontation between two nuclear powers and was the first military action of the Cold War. -
Explosion of the first Hydrogen Bomb
The United States exploded the first thermonuclear weapon in the Pacific in 1952. This bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than other nuclear weapons such as the atomic bomb. This device was not suitable as a weapon because of its size and fusion fuel type. HS: The test gave the United States an advantage in the arms race with the Soviet Union for a short period of time and was the first successful hydrogen bomb. -
Nikita Khrushchev
Khrushchev led the Soviet Union for a portion of the Cold War. He was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He is most known for the destalinization of the Soviet Union and supporting the Soviet Space Program. HS: He developed a communication line between Russia and the United States which led to a bettew relationship between the two nations. -
KGB
The KGB was a committee in charge of the security of the Soviet Union. The KGB was involved in almost all aspects of life in the USSR. This committee was considered a military service and was governed by army laws and regulations. HS: The KGB was so important because it was responsible for the intelligence, counterintelligence, and security of the Soviet Union. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, established by the Soviet Union, was a defense alliance between communist nations during the Cold War. HS: The Warsaw Pact was a response to the integration of West Germany. -
Suez Canal/Nasser
In 1956, a confrontation between Egypt on one side and Britain, France, and Israel with the United States and Soviet Union on the other side. The Suez Crisis began after Egypt's president Gamal Abdel Nasser's decision to nationalize the Suez Cana; after the withdrawal of an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of a dam. HS: This crisis marked the beginning of the end of colonial power in Britain and France. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched the satellite into an elliptical low Earth orbit. This huge advancement provided scientists with valuable information. HS: The success of the Sputnik caused American Sputnik crisis and began the Space Age and triggered Space Race. -
Berlin Wall was Erected
Berlin was divided into two sections. West Berlin was democratic and East Berlin was communist. West Berlin was very prosperous, while East Berlin was unhappy with communism. The unhappy East Germans fled into West Berlin. As a result, East Germany built a wall that sealed off West Berlin. HS: The Berlin Wall was the physical symbol of the division of Germany and it shows people did not want to live in the communist East Germany. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba. The United States President, John F. Kennedy, imposed a naval blockade that prevented Soviet shipments from going into Cuba and demanded that the Soviet Union remove their missiles. Finally, the Soviets removed the missiles from Cuba. HS: The world faced a threat of nuclear war which was the closest the world has ever came to nuclear war. -
Leonid Brezhnev
Was the successor of Nikita Khrushcev. Brezhnev was a communist leader of the Soviet Union who restored a Stalinist-type dictatorship. HS: He caused an economic slow down and disproportion of military growth that exhausted the economy and led to the fall of the Soviet Union. -
Tet Offensive
South Vietnam was not successful in trying to defeat the communist guerillas of North Vietnam. In 1968, the guerillas attacked South Vietnamese and American forces in many cities in the south.The attack took place during the Viatnamese New Year, so it was very unexpected. HS: The Tet Offensive marked the turning point of public opinion in the United States. -
Helsinki Accords
The Helsinki Accords was an agreement signed to reduce tensions between the Soviet Union and Western blocs. The were signed by all the countries in Europe except a few, plus the United States and Canada. The countries that signed the document pledged to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms to cooperate in economic, scientific, and other areas. HS: The Helsinki Accords raised the issue of human rights within the USSR. Due to this agreement, groups monitored abuses. -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
This event lasted from November 4, 1979 to January 21,1981. During this crisis, 52 Americans were held hostage for more than 400 days by a group of Islamist students and militants. These Iranians supported the Iranian Revolution and took over the American embassy in Tehran. HS: Some believe that the crisis cost Jimmy Carter his second term and the United States President because many lost confidence in him. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union supported the Afghan government and had tried to modernize the nation. The Soviet Union's policies included social reforms and redistribution of land that would reduce the power of the regional landlords. Afghan land lords and Muslim conservatives said both policies threatened Islamic tradition. HS: This provoked a crisis in morale for Soviets at home. -
Moscow Olympics
This was also an international, multi-sport event. During the Olympics, 65 countries, led by the United States, boycotted the games because of the Soviet Union war in Afghanistan. HS: This boycott caused the boycott during the Los Angeles Olympics. -
Solidarity Movement
Solidarity is a Polish trade union that was under the leadership of Lech Walesa. It was the first noncommunist controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. The movement used methods of civil resistance to advance the causes of workers' rights. Walese eventually became the President of Poland. HS: Solidarity played a major role in the death of communism across the Soviet bloc which changed Europe forever. -
Los Angeles Olympics
The Los Angeles Olympics were an international, multi-sport event. As a response to the boycott during the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, the Soviet Union and 14 other Eastern bloc countries, boycotted the games. The Soviet Union announced they would not participate in the Olympics in Los Angeles because of security concerns. HS: The Los Angeles Olympics was a record breaking one, hosting 140 nations. Some of the events were normally dominated by the absent nations, so some events were influenced. -
End of the USSR
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved on December 26, 1985 by a declaration of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. This Soviet Union transformed into 15 separate countries. HS: Ended the Cold War -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Mikhail s. Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in March 1985. He launched a program of perestroika, or, "restructuring" and glasnost, or, "openness". These programs brought huge changes. HS: His programs swept communist governments from power and brought an end the the Cold War and the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. -
Chernobyl
Chernobyl was a horrific nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The power plant was under the control of the Soviet Union. The explosion and fire released radioactive particles into the air and spread of the Soviet Union and Europe. HS: This trajedy is considered to be the worst neclear power plant accident. Also, the accident caused cancer and deformaties in people. -
Geneva Accords
The Geneva accords were signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan with the United States and the Soviet Union. The Accords consisted of 3 agreements intended to end war in Afghanistan. HS: The document has been considered a key to the Soviet withdrawal in Afghanistan. -
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in China.In April, thousands gathered in the square calling for democracy and refused to go away. In response to the protest, the Chinese government sent troops in. Thousands of people were killed in what became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. HS: This showed China's communist leaders were afraid of losing control. -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
Communism began to falter and in 1989, new exodux points were opened to East Germans wo wanted to flee to the west. On November 9,1989, an announcement was made by the East German goverment saying that "permanent relocations can be done through all border checkpoints between East Germany into West Germany or West Berlin." The border was opened and people began to quickly chip away the Berlin Wall. HS: Ended the division of Germany. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Gorbachev became the first president of the Soviet Union in March of 1990. He brought huge economic, social, and political changes to the Soviet Union. HS: His attempts to reform and conferences with the United States President, Reagan, and his reorientation of the strategic aims of the Soviet Union contributed to the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev ended supremacy of the Communist Party and led to the end of the USSR. Also, he was the first and last president of the Soviet Union. -
Boris Yeltsin
Bories Yeltsin was a Russion politician, as well as the first President of the Russian Federation. He was one of the biggest opponents of Gorbachev. Yeltsin promised to change Russia's socialist command economy into a market economy . HS: His era was full of curruption that led to economic collapse in Russia. -
Vladimir Putin
Putin is a Russian politician who has been President since May 7, 2012. Putin was an officer in the KGB for 16 years. Putin passed a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes while he was president. HS: He returned political stability and economic progress to Russia. -
Vietnam
Vietnam is the easternmost country on Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. In 1945, the communist North Vietnamese defeated the South during the Vietnam War. HS: Vietnam was once unified under communist rules but underwent reforms to integrate to the world's economy.
