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The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution began towards the end of WWI. Russian citizens disliked the all powerful Russian monarchy, which led to significant amounts of social and political revolution throughout the entire nation. The revolution resulted with the establishment of the soviet union by the Bolsheviks on -
The Iron curtain
in 1945, Winston Churchill set out an imaginary boundary that divided Europe into two different sections, and keeping Soviet influence away from the rest of Europe. The term also stood as a term for resisting the Soviets -
The Potsdam Conference
Held near Berlin, this was the last time the "Big Three" met on peaceful terms. they met top discuss land borders, war criminals, unconditional surrender, and to debate Germany economic divide. this would later become the founding for the east and west Germany divide. their Primary concern was to decide how best to defeat the Japanese, and eventually decided on unconditional surrender to be installed on the Japanese government. -
The Atomic Bombs
in August 1946, the United States dropped two atomic bombs, fat man and little boy, onto the opposing country of Japan. After Japans' consistence of the idea of death before surrender, The United States found no alternative to make the Japanese surrender before more unnecessary deaths. However, the production of Atomic bombs eventually lead to the rising tensions between countries for fear of those bombs being used on them. They were a crucial variable in the Cold War between the US and USSR. -
The Long Telegram
The long telegram was a telegram sent by George Kennan, A member of the U.S. embassy in Soviet Russia. The telegram consisted of his opinions of the Soviet Union and the U.S. policy towards the communist states. The telegram consisted of over 8000 words, and would later go on the become the founding idea for America's cold war policy of containment all of the way until the collapse of the Soviet Union -
Molotov plan
A plan proposed by Vyacheslav Molotov, the soviet foreign minister who opposed the Marshall plan, that provided aid to countries that were politically aligned to the Soviets. Its goal was to rebuild and strengthen them, and in the process, provide stability to the Soviet Union. To the Soviets, it was known as the brother plan. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American Foreign policy that was centered on the idea of Soviet geopolitical expansion for the duration of the Cold War. Its' goal was to help stop communist spread further in the world. They began sending aid to Soviet-targeted countries: Turkey and Greece -
The Hollywood Ten
In the Beginning of the Cold War, an organization known as HUAC, short for House Un-American Activities Committee, was created to weed out any potential communist threats in American Society to stop further increase. HUAC saw the American movie industry as a potential spread in communist ideals. During this time, interviews were conducted about such topics, 10 individuals from Hollywood were set out simply because they refused to answer questions because it they said it was unconstitutional -
The Marshall Plan
An idea first proposed by George Marshall, the current secretary of the state, that planned to provide economic assistance in European countries that were under threat of communist influence. The idea was adopted by President Truman into the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, but was later nicknamed after Marshall -
The Berlin Airlift
In response to the Berlin Blockade, the allies came up with the Berlin airlift to deliver supplies to the isolated civilian mass in east Berlin. They supplied almost 13,000 tons of food a fuel into the city at airfields. This act eventually forced the Soviets hand into calling off the Berlin Blockade and reopening East Germany to the world -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was the first international crisis of the Cold War that was started by the Soviet Union. The Blockade separated and blocked railways, canals, and roads that would carry supplies to the Soviet controlled East Berlin. Stalin's goal was to starve out the allies in East Berlin. The United States later countered this by the Berlin airlift. -
The Alger Hiss Case
Alger Hiss, an American Government official, was accused by US for spying for the Soviet Union. Evidence was presented against him in a court of law by a former US communist party member. after one unsuccessful mistrial due to a hung jury, he was tried again and found guilty of espionage and sentence to 10 years total in prison, but only served about 3 and a half. -
NATO
In 1949 12 western nations, including the United States, were forced by the increasing soviet influence into forming an alliance to oppose the incoming storm. The alliance sole purpose was to counter Soviet expansion, and was later countered by the Warsaw Pact, and Communist alliance who's goal was to counter NATO's actions -
The First Soviet Bomb Test
Nicknamed "first lightning", the soviets successfully tested their first atomic bomb in the 1949. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Russians believed that they would need to keep up with the United states as a competing superpower. This statement of potential for atomic warfare put the Soviet Union up on next to the United States for competing powers'. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
In October 1949, Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China. This promptly ended the Chinese civil that had been running since WWI. Until the 1970's, the US refused to recognize the Chinese Republic as China's government -
The Korean War
The Korean war started when North Korea sent an invading force of 75,000 soldiers into South Korea, supplied by Russian war equipment. The U.S. came to South Korea's aid and Russia and China backed North Korea. The war resulted in a negotiation that allowed South Korea an extra 1500 square miles of land and separated the Korean Peninsula in North and South Korea -
Rosenberg trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were two convicts of espionage in the time of the Cold War. They were later executed for their actions after conviction. Years later, they were found to have been some of the key persons involved in the Soviets obtaining information on nuclear bombs. -
Army McCarthy hearings
In the time of the red scare, and senator from Wisconsin produced a so-called list that contained the names of all of the communist figures in congress. this gave him huge political power, which he took advantage. In 1954 he was put on trial and exposed for the fraud that he was -
The Warsaw Pact
The Treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance, otherwise known as the Warsaw pact, was put into place to form a collective defense of nations like the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and others -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian revolution was a nationwide event against the dominant occupying Soviet power. This was the first major threat that the Soviet Union faced since the Nazi's in WWII. It began as a student protest, but escalated into a combined protest of thousands. After a student died, The violence escalated eve further into the Capital, where it was eventually overthrown -
U2 Incident
Early in the Cold War, America started using spy planes, like the U2 to fly reconnaissance flights over russian. On May 1, 1960, one of these was shot down over russia. The Pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was then captured and sent to a P.O.W. camp. Upon crash landing, Powers was supposed to kill himself, but ultimately did not. This event led to further escalations of tensions in the Cold War. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Soviets, with the Warsaw Pact behind, successfully invaded Czechoslovakia in August of 1968. They aimed to stop a stirring reformist revolution, and succeeded, but their actions led to further consequences down the road and resulted in the world focusing more of its attention onto russian -
Nixon Visit China
In 1972, Richard Nixon went on a week-long visit to China. He showed the public America's harmonious relationship with China. This was the first time in decades that their had been any connections or meets with communist countries -
Reagan Elected
In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president of the United States. Many Historians believe that this was a turning point of the Cold War, or the beginning of the end -
SDI announced
SDI, or Strategic Defense Initiative, was called upon by Reagan in 1983. Also known as "Star Wars", It was designed to be a nuclear defense program, that ultimately proved to be nothing more than an ingenious hoax to frighten the Soviets. -
Geneva Convention with Gorbachev
During the Height of the Cold War, President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary met at Geneva, Switzerland to discuss Diplomatic relationships and The Arms race. It resulted with both sides deciding on halving their missile reserves -
"Tear Down this Wall" Speech
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan traveled to West Berlin to give a Speech. A famous line was " Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" while referring to the Berlin Wall. This was a public accusation and appeal for The secretary General to remove the Berlin wall separating the East and the West -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
After years of conflict between the East and the West, Secretary General Gorbachev finally ordered the destruction. It was knocked down with sledgehammers by Citizens on both sides of the wall. It was a momentously celebrated event, that signified the end of the Cold War
