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Yalta Conference
The roots of the Cold War started with the Yalta Conference, which falls under the political GASPIRE theme. FDR, Churchill, and Stalin (aka the Big Three) agreed to a joint government of Germany. -
Truman Doctrine
U.S. President Harry S. Truman paid $400 million from Congress to Greece and Turkey to get them to resist the communist efforts in their countries. Truman's plan was ultimately successful, this plan falls under the economic GASPIRE theme. Truman being successful in his plan showed other countries that the U.S. is very much against communism spreading and that the U.S. is willing to throw their money around to get people to do what we want. -
The Marshall Plan
The U,S, Secretary of State, George Marshall proposed a massive program to help and rebuild the democratic European countries from the damages done by WWII. Between 1948 - 1952, almost $13 billion in in U.S. aid was sent to Europe. This falls under the economic GASPIRE theme. -
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Marshall Plan
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Berlin Airlift
U.S. and British planes fly 1.5 million tons of supplies to the people living in West Berlin. After 200,000 flights, the Soviets lift the blockade. This is a social GASPIRE theme. -
Berlin Bloackade
The Soviets responded to the U.S.'s aid to the European countries by blocking all of the land and water access to Berlin, the capital of Germany. Berlin was located in the eastern part of the country, which was occupied by the Soviets. The residents of West Berlin, the democratic portion, would be cut off and starve to death if they didn't receive help. -
Comecon
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon) was the Soviets response to the Marshall Plan. The purpose of comecon was to provide help to communist nations so they wouldn't take money from the U.S. Comecon's original members were "the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania" ("Comecon"). The organization lasted from 1949-1991. This falls under the economic GASPIRE theme. -
NATO is Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is formed by the U.S. The countries that are involved are as follows: USA, Canada, Britain, France, and 8 other countries in the west. They all pledge to protect and support another if they (or one of the countries involved) are attacked. (The picture is of the current NATO) -
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The Height of Cold War Propaganda
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The Korean War
The Korean War started when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel hoping to unite Korea as a communist nation. The UN and U.S. supported the South while communist China and the USSR supported the North. The war ended in 1953 when the nation split into present day North and South Korea at the 38th parallel. (lol, the helicopters (planes?) look like bananas in the picture) -
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The Korean War
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Cold War Propaganda
Propaganda used during the Cold War in the U.S. "reached its heights in the 1950s and 1960s, with concerted attempts to demonize communism while [promoting] the virtues of capitalism and democracy" (Llewellyn). Propaganda was also used in popular things like cinema, television, and books.This falls under the artistic GASPIRE theme. -
The Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro overthrew the corrupt Cuban government, which was led by Fulgencio Batista. Castro led a totalitarian communist government that was supported by the USSR. The "Bay of Pigs Invasion" also happened; the U.S. trained 1000+ Cubans to overthrow Castro, but it failed and the U.S. cut all ties with Cuba until 2015. -
The Space Race
The U.S. and the USSR were competing to show what country was the best and most technologically advanced. On April 12th, 1961, the USSR beat the U.S. in the first steps of the Space Race by sending the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin. Yuri was a Soviet hero. -
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The Berlin Wall
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis started in the summer of '62 when the USSR transported missiles to Cuba; those missiles would have easily been able to hit a lot of the united states, especially the east coast. In October of '62, the U.S. blockaded Cuba and president JFK gave an ultimatum: either the USSR removes the missiles or there would be war. The U.S. waited fearfully, but on October 28th, 1962, president Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba and nuclear war was avoided. -
The Space Race (contd.)
President JFK made a bold promise to the U.S. by saying that we would have a man on the moon by the end of the '60s. His promise was fulfilled on July 20, 1969 when NASA sent Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin into space. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. -
Defeat for the U.S. and a Win for the Soviets
Before the 1972 Olympics, the U.S. had been undefeated in basketball since 1936. But on that fateful day, the USSR beat the U.S. in their own game, which humiliated the U.S. team. -
The "Miracle on Ice"
At the 1980 winter Olympics at Lake Placid, the U.S. got their revenge on the USSR and beat the Soviets in their own game, hockey. That game earned the name the "Miracle on Ice". The defeat for the USSR was a humiliating loss. -
Down Comes the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall was built to divide the eastern and western sides of Berlin which were ruled by opposite governments, communism and democracy. The Berlin Wall got torn down on November 9th, 1989 and this signified the collapse of communism in eastern Europe. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union collapses on December 25th and 26th of 1991. -
North Korean Nuclear Threat
North Korea has been testing nuclear weapons since 2006. Since then, "North Korea's nuclear weapons program has [only] progressed" (Gladstone). This is similar to the Cold War because it's a communist country posing a nuclear weapons threat to the U.S., a democratic country. This is also a result of the Col War because North Korea turned communist because of the USSR and we wouldn't have such developments in nuclear technology without the Cold War.
