-
The Yalta Conference took place in Russia during World War II.
Milestones:1937-1945 This meeting involved U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. These major powers made decisions about the war and postwar. This meeting gave the Soviet Union the power that would end up causing the Cold War. -
The Berlin Airlift was President Harry Truman's retaliation to Joesph Stalin's Berlin Blockade.
Berlin Blockade/Airlift (1948-1949), Slide 6 Joesph Stalin was not happy with the extent to which the other powers were disagreeing with him so he blocked off the highways to West Berlin so that supplies could not be sent in. President Harry Truman foiled this plan by using military aircrafts to airlift supplies into West Berlin for over three years until Stalin gave up. -
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
NATO Established This organization consisted of twelve western nations. It was a military alliance that provided a cohesive self-defense against the Soviet Union. NATO greatly increased American power in Europe. The Warsaw Pact, an Eastern European alliance, was later established to counter this organization. -
The Second Red Scare was brought on primarily by Joesph McCarthy.
Second Red Scare, Slide 9 Junior Senator Joseph McCarthy wanted a way to propell himself on to the national stage. He claimed that he had a list of government officials that were members of the communist party. Although McCarthy exaggerated the problem, the communist threat to the U.S. was real. -
The Korean War had the potential to become World War III.
Korean War (1950-1953), Slide 8 North Korea was a communist state and South Korea was an anti-communist client of the U.S. When North Korea attacked South Korea, the U.S. sent in troops to regain South Korea and questions arose about whether they should continue into North Korea. Once China sent in volunteers to support North Korea, the war became very unpopular with Americans and ended in an armistice. -
Sputnick was the first satellite to be sent into space by Russia.
Space Race, Slide 10 Russia lead the space race by sending a missile powered satelitte into orbit. This worried America because it could potentially be used as a space-based weapon. President Kennedy would later promise that the U.S. would be the first nation to put a man on the moon. -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed invasion of Cuba.
Bay of Pigs Invasion (Apr '61), Slide 14 Once Cuba became a client of the Soviet Union, the U.S. was scared that communism could spread into the western hemisphere. The invasion involved trained Cuban exiles being sent back into Cuba to form a counter revolution to Fidel Castro. This invasion failed terribly and President Kennedy took personal responsibility for the failure. -
The Berlin Wall was built to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the democratic West.
The Berlin Wall Berlin was divided amongst the four powers with West Berlin controlled by the U.S., France, and Great Britian while East Berlin was controlled by the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall included guard towers and at one time, guards were given the order to shoot to kill. Germans from East Berlin would attempt to flee into the West. The city remained a hotspot for three decades while the Allies and Soviet Union fought. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest that the U.S. and Soviet Union ever came to a nuclear fight.
Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct '62), Slide 17 After the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Soviet Union offered to install missiles in Cuba to prevent another American attack. Castro agreed but during construction President Kennedy got news of it and sent in naval forces to quarantine Cuba. Eventually, the two powers agreed that missiles would be removed from Cuba in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba. -
Richard Nixon resigned from office after the Watergate Burglary.
Watergate Burglary and Fall of Richard Nixon, Slide 30 Men were arrested after being caught breaking into the Watergate apartment. Nixon tried to discourage a legitimate investigation and was obstructing justice. Knowing that he was going to be impeached and possibly removed from office, Nixon resigned. Appearing to be a larger conspiracy, this event represented the corrupt politics in the White House. -
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of the Soviet Union.
Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev implemented reforms, called glasnost and perestroika, meant to create freedom and worker productivity. He worked with Reagan to end the Cold War and reduce nuclear weapons. Gorbachev ultimately won a Nobel Peace Prize for his help in collapsing communism in Eastern Europe and ending the war. -
The demolition of the Berlin Wall was a time of celebration for many.
Why Did the Berlin Wall Fall 22 Years Ago? The Berlin Wall finally fell during President Reagan's term. Thousands of East Germans fled through the gates when they heard the news. The fall is attributed to multiple things such as Reagan's famous speech and East German protestors, but in the end all that matters is the fact that Berlin was no longer a divided city and order could be restored. -
Soviet Union is abolished, ending the Cold War for good.
Fall of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 different countries. This ended the Cold War for good and was seen as a victory of freedom and democracy. The end of the Cold War led to a major reformation of alliances throughout the world.
