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The Russian Revolution
1917 takeover of Russia by the Bolsheviks and menchovik, disposing the czar Nicholas the 2nd, creating worlds first "communist" government, spooking us. -
The Potsdam Confrence
The Potsdam Conference was a meeting of the 3 leading allied powers, America, Britain, U.S.S.R, about
Truman, Churchill, vs Stalin, fighting over Communism vs Democracy. The meeting did nothing to bridge divide. -
The Atomic Bombs
Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Stalin was spooked by America's willingness to use the bomb, as he already knew the bomb was in development. -
The Long Telegram
The long telegram was a document sent by George F. Kennan, American diplomat in Russia, describing reasons for Russian hostility against the west, that Russia is insecure, and that Stalin needs an external enemy to justify his regime. -
Iron Curtain
Term coined by Winston Churchill in a speech in 1946, used to describe the Soviet "buffer zone" consisting of conquered countries including east Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Poland. -
Truman doctrine
The UK could no longer support states fighting communisim, and needed the US to step in. With the truman doctrine, Greece and Turkey were given aid against the U.S.S.R. The doctrine marked a dramatic change in foreign policy, as Truman believed the US needed to support other countries. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
Led by Mao Zedong, chair of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese communist revolution happened as a result of foreign colonial pressures and domestic inequality of wealth that concentrated land-and money into the hands of a few -
Molotov plan
Soviet version of Marshall plan, the Molotov Plan gave aid to Soviet-allied states in eastern Europe. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall plan was a plan to give massive economic assistance to UK countries under threat of communist revolt. Called a "lifeline to sinking men", the plan was spurred by the overthrow of the democratic government in Czechoslovakia. Only the Soviet Union and its satellites refused help from plan. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin airlift was a huge effort by the American government to provide aid to communist-surrounded democratic Berlin. Over the course of the siege, Americans airlifted in enough food, coal, and supplies to keep the entire city of Berlin supplied. -
Berlin blockade
In response to American introduction of new currency, the deutsche mark, and implied reunification, into Germany, Soviets closed their city to all land traffic. roads, railways shut down, as well as power. Determined to force westerners out of Berlin. Americans airlifted food, coal, medical supplies, and the soviets eventually lifted the blockade. -
NATO
After Berlin Blockade, the west saw a need for a united defense against soviet aggression -
First Soviet Bomb Test
The fist successful detonation of a nuclear bomb by Russian scientists, the bomb was created with american nuclear secrets. -
Rosenburg trial
The Rosenberg sisters were accused of passing bomb secrets to Soviet Union. Claimed they were persecuted because of Jewish heritage Sentenced to death and executed despite outcry. -
Korean war
Korea was split during the cold war, with communist north Korea warring with democratic and US-backed South Korea. After a three year long war, north Korea prevailed, turning the country wholly communist. -
The Hollywood 10
A group of 10 screenwriters and actors, the Hollywood 10 were charged in 1950 for contempt of court, for refusing to answer questions regarding their communist affiliation. Afterwards, they were blacklisted from the film industry, and most never returned. -
Alger hiss case
The Alger Hiss case shocked Americans, and instilled a paranoia. While the court was prepared to dismiss the case because of lack of evidence, but Nixon, a judge at the time, brought evidence to show Alger hiss was sending information. Guilty of Lying to court. -
Army-McCarthy hearings
The United States Subcommittee on Investigations held multiple hearings investigating McCarthy's claims of communist plants in the military. The hearings, if not causing McCarthy's decline, contributed heavily to his fall from the public grace. -
Warsaw Pact
An alliance between the Soviet Union and multiple economically and politically aligned states, the Warsaw pact was intended to secure the communist world from the threat that is NATO. -
The U2 Incident
One of the American U-2 "Dragon Lady" high altitude spy planes, was shot down by the soviet union in 1960, and the pilot was captured and held for a year and 9 months -
Bay of pigs invasion
A failed attempt to topple the Communist Cuban government by the US, the bay of pigs invasion started with a millitary assault of cuba by American forces. -
The Cuban Missile crisis
The cuban missile crisis began when the US found, through high altitude pictures, evidence of missile silos in Cuba. For 13 days, there was a high-tension situation that nearly escalated into nuclear war -
Assassination of JFK
Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy with three shots while the president was riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia to quell democratic revolution in Prague. East German forces did not participate in 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. -
SDI Announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative or Star Wars was a project by Nixon to defend against any incoming nuclear strike simultaneously. It involved advanced technology, like lasers, and particle beam weapons, many of which were decades away from practical use -
Reagan Elected
Reagan won his election by a landslide, receiving the highest number of political votes of any non-incumbent candidate. -
Geneva Convention with Gorbachev
The first meeting between a US president and a Soviet leader, Gorbachev and Reagan met in Geneva, Switzerland to hold talks on the arms race. -
Tear Down this Wall speech
The most memorable words of Reagan's presidency "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall" were spoken in Reagan's 1987 speech that called for the destruction of the Berlin wall. Shortly after the speech, the Berlin Blockade was ended, and Berlin was reopened to the world -
Fall of the Berlin wall
The demolition of the Wall officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in November 1991. The Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin Wall was opened on 22 December 1989. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which formally took place on 3 October 1990.
