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Russian Revolution
After the domination of the Nazis and their reign of terror, Russia was left in ruins. They were scared and paranoid of the Germans and other more powerful countries. They were looking for a leader and change. Vladimir Lenin came to power and Russia was now under Communist rule. -
Potsdam Confrence
The Potsdam Conference was a meeting between America, England, and Russia with Truman, Winston, and Stalin. The conference was regarding post-war Germany and how it should be handled, lasting peace, and the rest of the war in Japan. Stalin wanted all of Germany to become Russian territory but Truman and Winston stood their ground and tensions grew between the countries. -
Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima/Nagasaki
The United States just successfully tested the atom bomb code name: "The Manhattan Project" and were ready to drop it. After the numbers of American solders death rates and how the Japanese would rather die than surrender, Truman had no choice but to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and later Nagasaki. -
Iron Curtain
A term coined by Winston Churchill of the "curtain" that fell in Europe and how it separated Communist country and the Allies. This lead to the formation of the NATO and the Warsaw Pact, dividing Europe and the world due to Communism. -
Molotov Plan
A Soviet created plan to provide aid to the Easter European countries. Essentially the USSR's version of the Marshall Plan, this was made because Russia denied the aid of America and did this form of recovery instead. -
Hollywood 10
The Hollywood 10 were ten people involved in the movie industry and were accused of spreading Communist ideas in their work. They were called to court but did not testify against their accusations. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American forging policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet expansion during the Cold war and laid out ground work for the Allies and what they were going to do during the Cold War and Post WWII Europe. -
Marshall Plan
This was a Western European recovery plan that gave $13 billion dollars to the countries. This was a complete success and helped rebuild Eastern Europe back to a thriving nation. -
Berlin Blockade
The capital of Germany, Berlin, was in the Russians control after WWII and with that controlled Germany's living essentials like heating and power. After the West side of Germany became united, Stalin became worried and cut off the power and food supplies to the West. The West staid strong and thanks to American Air drops the people lived a healthy life until the blockade was lifted. -
Soviet Bomb Test
A project authorized by Stalin was the Russians efforts to make an atomic bomb. After acquiring notes from the Americans Marshal Plan, the Russians successfully created their own bomb way before the Americans would predict they would have it. -
NATO
NATO or the North American Treaty Organization was the joining of Eastern European countries and America. These countries became allied because the wanted to stop the spread of Communism and the Russians rule of the West. -
Alger Hiss Case
Alger Hiss was a Soviet Spy during the testing of the Manhattan Project, the atom bomb, and was caught. He was not convicted at first due to lack of evidence but was instead convicted of purgery. This sparked the Red Scare in the US of more Soviet spy's. -
Korean War
A war between North and South Korea which were owned by the Soviet Union and America along the 38th parallel after WW2. A fight broke out between the two about Communism which added fuel to the ongoing Cold War. -
Rosenberg Trial
The Rosenberg Trial was the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg about passing bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. They were found guilty of this crime and were sentenced to death by the electric chair. This was a very controversial case due to lack of evidence at the time. -
Army-McCarthy hearings
Joseph McCarthy used the Red Scare incident for him to gain a political following and accused multiple people in the government of being communist including the president. Richard Nixon found Russian files and exposed McCarthy of being a fraud and never got a political following again. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
This was the first battle in the First Indochina War between the French and Viet Minh over the control of Vietnam. The Viet Minh were fighting for their independence while the French wanted to continue their rule there. -
Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference was a conference held in Geneva, Switzerland with multiple countries on what to do with certain issues following the Korean War and the First Indochina War. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was an alliance of the Communist nations behind the Iron Curtain. This was made in response due to the creation of the NATO. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution was a nationwide revolt against the Marxist-Leninist government and was overthrown and was soon under Communist rule. -
U2 Incident
A United States spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Union during the heat of the Cold War. The United States first denied the claim that the plane was used for spying when later they had admitted its intentions. -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was failed invasion of Cuba by the Americans. After this failure, nuclear missiles were stationed in Cuba terrifying the United States of a possible nuclear warfare. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a concrete wall separating the capitol and the country of Germany into two. One siding with the Communist and Russia while the other side a capitalistic government and siding with the Americans. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Nuclear missiles have been placed in Cuba after the American failed attempt of invading Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. During this time President Kennedy was conflicted on if he should attack the Cubans at this time or not and if he did, it would have resulted into a nuclear warefare. -
Assassination of Diem
The assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem occurred after the United States left Vietnam during the Vietnam War. South Vietnam was overran by the Communist North Vietnam and took Diem and assassinated him. -
Assassination of JFK
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a former Marine Lee Harvey Oswald and was pronounced dead 30 minutes after the shooting. After 10 months of investigation on Oswald, the FBI concluded that Oswald was not part of the Communist party or another organization and worked alone. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was a bill that congress passed and authorized by President Lyndon B. Johnson to do what ever was necessary to secure Southeast Asia and have international peace in the country. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the code name for the United States to drop bombs in Vietnam to fight the Communist North Vietnam. This was conducted by the U.S. 2nd Air Division and consisted of relentless bombing throughout the war. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was an attack on the Americans in Vietnam conducted by the Vietcong. This was a surprise attack and it was all televised on American television and fueled the anti-war movement happening in the states. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in his hotel in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel. He was shot by James Earl Ray and was pronounced dead on April 4, 1968 at 6:01 P.M. -
Assassination of RFK
Robert F. Kennedy was a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. He was shot by Sirhan Sirhan in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and died at the age of 42. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia was known as Operation Danube. This invasion was partaken by the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany and Poland. This invasion strengthen the Communist party greatly. -
Riots of Democratic convention
Thousands of Vietnam protesters were protesting and fighting the Chicago police in the streets. The Democratic Party did not know what to do about the war and this uncertainty lead to the riots. -
Election of Nixon
Richard Nixon won the U.S. Presidential Election of 1968 after the death of his rival RFK. Nixon won against Hubert Humphrey and was the President from 1969 to 1974 when he resigned as President in the middle of the Cold War. -
Kent State
During the Cold War, citizens were protesting the Vietnam War and wanted peace. At Kent State a protest was taking place and Ohio National Guard opened fire on the protesters leading to the death of 4 students and injuring 9. -
Nixon visits China
Nixon's visit to China was a strategic and diplomatic decision by the Nixon administration. This was the first time a U.S. President visited China and ended a 25 year drought of no communication with the Chinese. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
This ceasefire was to stop the constant bombing in Northern Vietnam to fight the Communist. This ceasefire soon lead to the United States leaving South Vietnam and having South Vietnam fight for themselves from the Communists. -
Fall of Saigon
After the ceasefire agreement, the Vietcong were not going to attack South Vietnam but they did and the United States came back to defend. Almost immediately after the ceasefire South Vietnam was overran by the Vietcong and this lead to the falling of the capitol of Saigon. American helicopters would try and evacuate civilians as this takeover happened. -
Reagan elected
President Ronald Reagan was elected by the Republican party and his main focus as president was to end Communism. He did this mainly through the massive amount of spending on military equipment and projects to pull away from the Soviet Union. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was a proposed way for the United States to defend themselves against possible Communist attacks. SDI would try and develop equipment such as lasers and destroying nuclear missiles in space. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
President Reagan met with the leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva, Switzerland. This meting was held to conduct international diplomatic relations and to end the arms race. After this meting, Reagan and Gorbachev started to become friends. -
‘Tear down this wall’ speech
President Reagan gave a speech calling out Gorbachev and to tear down the wall separating Communist East Germany and Republic West Germany. Citizens supported Reagan heavily and Gorbachev was almost forced to take down the wall. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
After Reagan's speech Gorbachev made the decision to tear down the wall and thus uniting Germany as one again. This incident began the fall of Communism throughout the world with citizens standing up to their government.
