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The Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference consisted of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin. They discussed Europe's post-war reorganization. -
Truman Doctrine
It was used to counter the spread of the Soviet politics during the Cold War. This event is often referred to as the start of the Cold War. -
The Marshall Plan
The US gave about $13 billion to Europe to recover from World War II. A large amount was given to the big industrial powers of Europe. The plan was named after the secretary of state George Marshall. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blockaded Western Allies access into Berlin. The US began using airlift to bring supplies into Berlin and the Soviet ended the blockade. -
Arms Race
The USA and the USSR competed in building weapons faster than each other in preparation for war. The USSR exploded their first atomic bomb. -
Korean War
21 countries of the United Nations helped to defend South Korea. Jet fighters confronted each other for the first time in history. -
Joseph Stalin dies
Stalin's death signified that a new era had begun with the Soviet Union. The Soviet's reduced their troops by nearly 600,000. -
Cuban Revolution
It was a revolt led by Fidel Castro and their allies against Fulgencio Batista. After the revolution, Castro's government transformed Cuba's economy and civil society. -
Vietnam War
The US' involvement in the war prevented communist takeover in South Vietnam. The death toll of the war was higher than 300,000 people combined. -
Hungarian Revolution
This was a nationwide revolt against the Hungarian government and the Soviet-imposed policies. The revolt quickly spread across Hungary and the government collapsed. -
Space Race
The Soviet Union released the first satellite into space in 1957 called Sputnik 1. The first astronaut or cosmonaut into space was a Russian named Yuri Gagarin. -
U-2 Incident
A US spy plane was shot down while in Soviet airspace. Gary Powers was flying the plane and he parachuted safely to the ground and was captured by Soviet forces. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The US intended to overthrow Fidel Castro and his Cuban forces. The invading force was defeated in three days under the power of Fidel Castro. Castro remains leader of Cuba. -
Berlin Wall
A series of political changes occurred in Germany. The wall also prevented immigration from other countries. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
It was a confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union concerning Soviet missile deployment in Cuba. The Cold War nearly escalated into a full scale nuclear war. -
Policy of Containment
This was a policy by the US to keep communism from spreading. George Kennan was known as the "Father of Containment." This policy also prevented further Soviet aggression. -
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
As many as 1.5 million civilians were killed during this invasion. Millions of Afghans fled the country as refugees. -
End of the Cold War
Gorbachev and president George Bush met and declared the end of the Cold War. Most Americans found it difficult to live a life with no cold war. -
German Unification
West Germany and East Germany reunified after the Cold War. The Berlin Wall being demolished helped Germany reunify and become one country again. -
The Soviet Breakup
The USSR was made up of fifteen separate republics. Latavia, Lithuania, and Estonia proclaimed independence from the Soviet Union.
