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The Russian Revolution
One of the largest and most dramatic political events of the twentieth century. The violent revolution of 1917 was the end of the Romanov dynasty and Russian imperialism rule. The Bolsheviks seized power and introduced communism. -
Potsdam Conference
The last WWII meeting held by the "Big Three" heads of state (Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin). The meeting established a council of Foreign ministers and a central allied control council for administration of Germany. The "Big Three" also issued a declaration demanding absolute surrender from Japan -
The atomic bomb Hiroshima/Nagasaki
In WWII, an American B-29 bomber dropped the worlds first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, it wiped out 90% of the city and killed 80,000 people immediately. Three days later, another bomb was dropped onto Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people, leading to Japan's ultimate absolute surrender. America gained leverage over Stalin from their advanced nuclear weapons. The Manhattan Project gave warfare higher stakes and a growing sense of fear for large powers, -
Chinese Communist Revolution
The revolution was the second part of the Chinese Civil war and begun after the second Sino-Japanese war, it resulted in the proclamation of the People Republic of China. It was lead by the Communist Party of China and Chairman Mao Zedong. -
The Long Telegram
During the cold war, George Kennan sent an 8,000 word telegram, to the Department of State, detailing his views on the Soviet Union and the U.S policy towards the communist state. His analysis gave one of the most influential presumptions of America's cold war policy of containment. -
Molotov Plan
The system provided by the Soviet Union to provide aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern Europe that were politically and economically aligned to the Soviet Union. -
Hollywood 10
When 10 members of the Hollywood film industry publicly denounced the tactics employed by the HUAC, (House Un-American Activities Committee), an investigative committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, during it's probe of alleged communist influence in the american film industry. The prominent screenwriters and directors received jail sentences and were banned from major Hollywood studios. -
The Truman Doctrine
An American foreign policy whose purpose was to counter soviet geopolitical expansion during the cold war. It laid the ground work of American foreign policy. -
The Berlin Blockade
An attempt by the Soviet Union to limit the availability of France, Great Britain, and the U.S, to travel to Berlin, because they were within Russian occupied East Germany. -
The Berlin Airlift
A way to resupply Berlin, by flying planes in day and night carrying ,more than 2 million tons of cargo during the 15th month operation. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty organization, it sought to counteract Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after WWII. -
First Soviet Bomb Test
The Soviets stunned the world when successfully testing their own atomic bomb, years ahead of what was expected. -
Alger Hiss Case
Alger Hiss was an American government official, accused of spying for the Soviet Union in 1984. He was convicted of perjury in connection with this charge, before this trial, he was established in the United Nations as a U.S state department official and a U.N official. -
Korean War
A war between North Korea, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, with the support of the U.N and the U.S. The war was a product of June 25, when North Korea invaded South Korea, following a series of clashes along the border. -
Rosenberg Trial
The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg began in New York during the height of espionage problems. Judge Irving R. Kaufman presided over the conviction of the couple accused of selling nuclear secrets to the Russians.There was barely any direct evidence of the Rosenberg's guilt, other than the confession of Greenglass. Their trial lasted nearly a month, ending with the conviction of the couple, who were sentenced to the electric chair. -
Army-McCarthy hearings
A series of hearing held by U.S Senates subcommittee on investigations to investigate conflicting accusations between the U.S army and U.S senator Joseph McCarthy. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw pact was a treaty of friendship between the soviet union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialists republics of Central and Eastern Europe. it was signed in Warsaw, Poland. -
Hungarian Revolution
A nationwide revolution against the Hungarian Peoples republic and it's Soviet imposed policies, it spread like wildfire, thousands of citizens formed militia and battled AVH. -
U2 Incident
A U2 spy plane was shot down by Soviet defenses while survivalist equipment and Soviet military bases. Once the plane was shot down the pilot (Francis Gary Powers) was ejected and safely parachuted to the ground and then captured. -
Bay of Pigs invasion
A failed attempt at reversing the Cuban revolution; starting with a military invasion of North Cuba. -
Berlin wall
The wall cut off West Berlin from the surrounding East Germany. The wall included guard towers along with a large trench known as the "death strip". -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A 13 day confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. Initiated by America's finding of the Soviets ballistic missile deployment of Cuba. This crisis almost started an all out nuclear war. -
Assassination of JFK
The assassination of JFK, the injuries that Kennedy and Connally sustained were caused by Oswald's three rifle shots, but they also concluded that Kennedy was "probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy". -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw troops invaded Czechoslovakia. East German forces, except for a small number of specialists, did not participate in the invasion because they were ordered from Moscow not to cross the Czechoslovak border just hours before the invasion. -
Nixon visits China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important strategic and diplomatic overture that marked the culmination of the Nixon administration's. Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and China. Nixon visited China to gain more leverage over relations with the Soviet Union. -
Reagan elected
Presidential election. Republican Ronald Reagan won the election in a landslide, receiving 489 electoral votes, defeating incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter, who received 49. Reagan received the highest number of electoral votes ever won by a non-incumbent presidential candidate. Republican Congressman John B. -
SDI announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons (intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles). The concept was first announced publicly by President Ronald Reagan on 23 March 1983. -
Marshall Plan
After witnessing the horrible state European were in after the war, George c. Marshall, he proposed a plan to aid western Europe, in which the U.S gave them up to $17 billion dollars. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
The Geneva Summit of 1985 was a Cold War-era meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. It was held on November 19 and 20, 1985, between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The two leaders met for the first time to hold talks on international diplomatic relations and the arms race. -
‘Tear down this wall’ speech
Also known as the Berlin Wall Speech, is a speech delivered by United States President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin on Friday, June 12, 1987. Reagan called for the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open the Berlin Wall, which had separated West and East Berlin since 1961 -
Iron curtain
A non-physical boundary dividing Europe into central and eastern Europe. It symbolizes the soviets attempt to block themselves from the west, and communism on the rise. -
Fall of the Berlin wall
The Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin Wall was opened on 22 December 1989. The demolition of the Wall officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in November 1991. The "fall of the Berlin Wall" paved the way for German reunification, which formally took place on 3 October 1990.
