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The Iron Curtain
The iron curtain was the physical boundary formed after world war 1 to separate europe. The Soviet Union wanted to block off all communication from the west to its satellites. The nations on both sides began creating military and economic alliances. -
Containment Policy
The containment policy was brought up by president trumann to stop the spread of communism. The U.S would give millions in aid to countries in need of economic stability and under the influence of communism. The U.S also helped defend places such as vietnam and korean by sending troops to fight against the communists. -
Truman Doctrine
The truman doctrine was a declaration from President Truman to stop soviet imperialism and the spread of communism. In places such as greece and turkey the economy was unstable. Congress agreed to send a free gift of aid into turkey and greece and no military action was taken. -
Marshall plan
The marshall plan was an american plan to aid countries in western Europe. The U.S planned to rebuild war-devasted countried by giving them money. The Marshall plan wa in action for 4 years and the U.S gave 13 billion dollars in aid. -
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Berlin blockade
The soviet Union blocked all forms of acces to the sectors of west berlin. The soviets offered to drop the blockade if the western allies would withdraw the deutshe mark from west berlin. the allies sent supplies in instead and the blockade was taken down on may 12 1949 -
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Berlin Airlift
The berlin airlift was in responde to the berlin blockade where soviet forces blocked all canals, railways, roads and entrances/exits to west berlin. The western forces sent air drops of supplies to the civilians of west berlin. When the soviets realized the west was winning the stop the blocked. (may 12 1949) -
North Atlantic Trade organization begins
Nato is an international military alliance based on the north atlantice treaty. The Cold War lead to a rivalry with the eastern forces causing western forces to form NATO. The nations agreed an attack on any of them would be an attack on all of them. -
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Space race
The U.S and soviets began racing to send rockets into space. The soviets sent the sputnik into orbit in 1957. On july 20th 1969 the U.S succesfully landed a man on the moon. -
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ICBM's
In 1953 the soviets began developing icbm's. on february 9th 1959 the first test of these missiles was succesful. These missiles were able to shoot 5,500 kilometer and were meant to shoot nuclear weapons. -
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Warsaw Pact
In response to NATO the Soviet Union and its satellites established the Warsaw Pact. The pact was to form a balance of powers but there was no direct contact between them. The pact was ended in 1991 after the soviet union fell. -
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Peaceful coexistence
The soviet party placed a policy of peaceful coexistence in place meaning that the socialists could live in the same world at the capitalists. This idea also came from the realization that a nuclear war could end all of man kind. peaceful coexistence also showed the west the soviets werent trying for world domination. -
Hungarian revolt
Lasted until november 10th 1959. The hungarian society began to revolt against the soviets and their policies. This revolt was leaderless and the first major threat to soviets since world war 2. the soviets sent troops in and over 2,500 citizens were murdered. -
Cuban Missile crisis
Ended on 28th of cotober 1962. During the 1960s the U.S had placed nuclear missiles in turkey aimed at russia, in retaliation the USSR sent missiles to cuba. The U.S responded to the missile shipment by blockading cuba from USSR ships and submarines. This was the closest the cold war came to full on nuclear war and could have started had any commander given the command to fire a missile. -
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Detente
This period of detene occured when the U.S and the soviet union realized that a war would lead to total destruction. The U.S and Soviets agreed to have less missiles as well as to the salt pact. Detene eded after the soviets invaded afganhistan and the U.S boycotted the 1980 olympics. -
Soviet invasion of czechoslovakia 1968
On this day the Warsaw pact alliance sent troops into czechoslovakia to repress any reforms and uprisings. around 500,000 troops were sent in to stop the reforms of alexander prague. 108 citizens were killed with 500 wounded. -
Glasnost
When gorbachev gained controlled of the soviet union he introduced glasnost. Glasnost resulted in more rights for citizens and less censorship of ideas in Russia. The policy lead to the Soviet Union losing total control. -
Perestroika
Gorbachev reavled to the Soviet union that the economy is failing. He instates a policy of perestroika to stop the fall of the party. In placing this policy many argue that he was this was the cause of the soviet unions fall. -
Fall of the berlin wall
The berlin wall built by the soviet union was to block off western ideals from entering east germany. On november 9th 1989 the GDR announced citizens could cross the border freely. Many citizens went out and broke down the wall with tools by hand.
