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Berlin Blockade
The French, USA, and UK partitions of Germany were merged to form West Germany, Russia responds by blocking the entrance to Western Berlin. Residents had no access to food or supplies. They faced starvation. Food was brought by US and UK airlines, an exercise known as the Berlin Airlift. -
NATO
NATO formed a peacetime military alliance between US, Canada, and Western European Countries for collective security. -
Korean War
Korean War begins with Russian supported North Korea invading US supported South Korea, ends in stalemate. -
Warsaw Pact
Soviet bloc of collective security, military alliance in response to NATO formed. -
Hungarian Revolution
The US supported anti-communist protest is defeated by the USSR who installs a communist government in Hungary -
Suez Crisis
Britain and French forces invade Egypt to seize Suez Canal, invasion fails, Egypt supported by Russia, and UN restores peace. -
Space Race
Space Race begins when USSR launches Sputnik and America begins to fear USSR's technology advances. -
Berlin Wall
The 155-kilometer-long Berlin Wall, which cut through the middle of the city center, surrounded West Berlin. The Wall was designed to prevent people from escaping to the West from East Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict. -
US sends troops
US sends 150,000 troops to Vietnam to aid the South Vietnamese and combat the North Vietnamese Communists. -
SALT
President Nixon and Soviet President Brezhnev sign SALT treaty making it illegal to manufacture nuclear weapons. -
Ends Combat
US ends combat in Veitnam -
Soviet Army Invades Afghanistan
Soviet Army Invades Afghanistan, US provides weapons to Islamic freedom fighters, invasion marks the first time the Soviets used military force beyond the Warsaw Pact nations, expenses contributed to collapse of Soviet Union. -
President Reagan
President Reagan resumes the mission to contain communism with Readan doctrine, focusing on Central American nation. -
Tiananmen Square
Protesters gather in Tiananmen Square to reform The Chinese Communist Party. -
Berlin Wall Torn Down
The Berlin Wall was torn down. -
Soviet Union Collapses
Communist hardliners and military elites tried to overthrow Gorbachev and stop the failing reforms in a coup but failed. The turmoil led to the government in Moscow losing most of its influence, and many republics proclaiming independence in the following days and months. -
