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The Yalta Conference
This conference took place between the “Big Three” who decided to divide Germany among them and rule it together. This political move determined the distribution of power over Germany and ultimately began the Cold War (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine caused America to pay $400 million to Greece and Turkey to halt the spread of communism. By giving them money, America made these countries more inclined to follow their example. This is economic because America gained some control over these country’s economies by given them so much money.,, (see extended description) -
Executive order 9835
On March 21, 1947, President Truman ordered Executive order 9835, which called for the investigation of every government worker’s loyalty. This was psychological because the cold war caused many people to be paranoid of spies and Russian infiltration. The paranoia got so bad as to violate people’s privacy. Everyone was afraid on edge during this time known as the “Red Scare”. (History,com Staff) -
The Marshall Plan
(Economic) This was a plan devised by George Marshall with the intent of cleaning up the destruction from World War II in Europe. Communist Eastern Europe rejected this help, saying it was “dollar enslavement”. They didn’t want to owe the US anything because Democracy threatened their communist ideals. This relates to the GASPIRE theme of economy because massive amounts of money were being handled in this situation. Almost $13 billion was sent to Europe from 1948-52. (see extension) -
The Blockade
The Soviets blockaded the West to prevent American supplies getting through and people from fleeing. East Berlin was communist, and West Berlin a democracy. This was a social problem because families were separated by the Berlin wall that was built to separate East and West and people were living in in fearful discontent. The Americans delivered supplied around the blockade via airlift, sparking further tension among both groups as Russia’s plans were foiled. -
The Korean War
Communist North Korea hoped to unite all of Korea as communists. The US got involved to support the south while China and the USSR supported North Korea. This affected the people psychologically because communism was threatening to spread. This was known as the domino effect and was feared because it meant one nation turned communist could spread the communist ideals to other countries. (see extension) -
Cuban Revolution
In January of 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban government, which was run by Fulgencio Batista. Castro formed a totalitarian communist regime that was supported by the USSR. This ties to the political GASPIRE theme because Castro seized power and ruled a small nation that played a role in the cold war. This propelled the war forward because it led to Russia placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. -
Space Race
The Cold War was a time to develop the science that would land a man on the moon. America and Russia were involved in a Space Race. The first into space would prove to be the most technologically advanced. America got the first man on the moon, but Russia got the first man in space. This was a time of innovation as both sides worked feverishly to beat the other. -
Propoganda:"Mr. Communism and his Entourage"
Propaganda was used widely by both sides during the cold war. The posters produced artistically preyed on the fears of the people. Specifically, this image shows the fear of communism in America because the “entourage” consists of racism, banditry, corruption, poverty, and war. Americans truly believed communism was evil. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Fidel Castro, supported by the USSR, made Cuba a communist state. In 1962, The USSR sent missiles to Cuba. Geographically, Cuba is very close to the US because it is located near Florida. The missiles directly threatened America. Tensions rose due to this placement and nuclear war was barely avoided. -
Nuclear Test Ban
The development of Nuclear weapons was an innovational leap. The discovery of nuclear fusion spurred the development of nuclear missiles. This is an intellectual theme in history because it relates to scientific advancement in both the US and USSR. This shows the Cold War because tension regarding the use of Nukes was one of the main conflicts of the war. Because of this tension, the US, USSR and UK signed the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (Freedman). -
The olympics
In 1972, the USSR team beat the US team in Olympic basketball. In 1980, the USA defeated the USSR in Olympic hockey. Both were unexpected instances of victory that reveal the competitiveness between the nations. This was cultural in relation to GASPIRE because the Olympics are followed worldwide and mean something different to each culture. Sports teams make people behave in certain ways and get angry at fans of opposing teams. They make the game a part of their culture. (see extension) -
Soviets in Afghanistan
The Americans sent weapons to Afghanistan in hopes that the people there would fight against the Russian presence. They essentially sent weapons to the group that would become the Taliban. This relates to the theme of religion in GASPIRE because the Taliban are a group of Muslim extremists that were involved in the Cold War. Is an example of the Cold War because there was no direct fighting between America and Russia even though they were on hostile terms. -
Current Event: Conflict in Ukraine
Russia and the Western nations have been presenting sanctions back and forth. Now, Russia is threatening to block its airspace. Meanwhile, there has been a cease-fire called in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian security forces have announced that they will be building a 1,000-mile-long wall along its shared border with Russia. -
Interview
Interview of Eric Owens:
Mr. Owens is 45 years old and works in land acquisition. I chose to interview Mr. Owens because he has a good memory and an interest in history. He was not very old during the Cold War, but he still remembers some aspects. 1.) Where were you during the fall of the Berlin wall? Do you remember it?
He was in Paris. It was on TV and it was huge news. He wishes he was there to be a part of it because it was such a monumental moment.
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