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The Russian Revolution
The revolution began in March 1917 and lasted until June of 1923. The revolution started with the abolishment of the Russian monarchy. A war between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks defeated the opposing side and established the Soviet power and forming the Communist party. This is significant to the Cold War because this was the event that formed the Soviet Union and the ideologies. -
Potsdam Conference
The meeting was held from July 17th to August 2nd, 1945. The war over Germany brought peace but ruined the peace between the partners. President Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill both felt the same about recovering Germany and wanted a democratic republic but the Soviet Union Dictator Joseph Stalin wanted to dominate Europe and spread communism. The significance of the Potsdam Conference to Cold War United States was that this is what showed the problems between both sides. -
Atomic Bomb
On the first day of the Potsdam Conference, the first nuclear weapon was tested. The United States had been secretly developing atomic bombs under their Manhattan Project. The nuclear weapon was created by Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. The use of nuclear bombs on Japan by the U.S. made Stalin realize that his army would not stand a chance. -
Long Telegram
It was written by George Kennan to explain how the Soviet Union saw the rest of the world. The telegram helped explain to the U.S. the best way to handle the Soviet Union. Kennan believed the United States should go into a state of containment. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was Stalin's buffer zone to protect him from possible invasions. It was a non-physical barrier of countries that had fallen under Soviet influence. The countries involved were Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the eastern zone of Germany. The Iron Curtain divided the areas from 1946 to 1991. -
Hollywood 10
Ten directors and screenwriters received jail sentences and blacklisted from the entertainment industry and refusal to answering questions about involvement in communism. The ten were cited for contempt of Congress. The action by the government caused many movie producers to fire artists. -
Molotov Plan
Since the Soviet Union refused to accept aid from the United States and their Marshall Plan they decided to create their own known as the Molotov Plan. The purpose of the Molotov plan was to rebuild countries that were politically and economically aligned with the Soviet Union. The plan was created by Vyacheslav Molotov. They believed that the Marshall Plan was an attempt to make the Soviet Union feel weak. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman believed that the United States should give aid to nations resisting subjugation by armed forces such as communism or outside pressure. Truman wanted to protect Greece and Turkey from communist control. Truman believed that the free people in the world look toward the U.S. to maintain their freedom. President Truman's appeal changed foreign policy in the United States. -
Alger Hiss Case
In 1948 an ex-communist Whittaker Chambers accused the former U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss of spying for the Soviet Union. The House Committee was ready to dismiss the case because of the lack of evidence until a U.S. Congressman Richard Nixon provided evidence. Alger Hiss was convicted of purgery and sentenced to five years in prison. -
Marshall Plan
The Secretary of State George Marshall wanted a program for economic assistance designed to help countries revive a once working economy. The plan distributed food and machinery and technical support spurred. Homes and businesses were also rebuilt. The plan also loaned 12 billion dollars to European countries. The Marshall Plan launched western Europe into recovery. The plan also established the United States as the world's dominant economic superpower. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade lasted from June 24, 1948- May 12, 1949. The blockade was an attempt from the Soviet Union to control the ability of France, Great Britain, and the United States from traveling to their sections of Berlin. Stalin felt that the addition of a new currency to Germany as a threat to the Soviet Union. Roads and railways were shut down, shipments of good languished because of the border process, and power to the city was turned off. -
The Berlin Airlift
In order to deliver goods to Berlin after the Berlin Blockade was set the United States established an airlift to resupply the city. Planes ferried in food, coal, and medical supplies. A plane filled with supplies landed on average every three minutes. More than two million tons of cargo were delivered to Berlin during the 15-month operation. The airlift was active from June 24, 1948- May 12, 1949. -
NATO
NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an international alliance that consisted of 12 countries from North America and Europe. NATO formed because of the events of the Berlin Blockade. NATO was a military alliance between the different countries. NATO promoted democratic values and if those efforts failed the members would have a military to help with reorganizing the efforts. -
First Soviet Bomb Test
The world was stunned when the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb. Their launch was years ahead of the expected time for them to have an atomic bomb complete. The bomb had a yield of 22 kilotons. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
The revolution was led by Mao Zedong and prevailed in a decades-long civil war against the Chinese nationalists' government. Nearly 500 million Chinese fell under communist rule. Zedong would become the linchpin for revolutions in Asia. -
Rosenberg Trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenburg were arrested after a connection to pass bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. The Rosenbergs denied the charges and believed and blamed they were being persecuted as Jews. The Rosenbergs were convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair. The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953. -
Korean War
The Korean War started after the North launched an attack on the South. The north was established as a socialist state under a communist leader Kim Il-Sung. The south was established as a capitalist state under an anti-communist leader Syngman Rhee. The North was occupied by the Soviet Union and the South was occupied by the U.S. The war ended with an agreement to separate the North and South The war ended on July 27, 1953. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
There were a series of hearings investigating Joseph McCarthy and accusations that were said by him about the United States Army. The publication of the hearings by media sources contributed to McCarthy's downfall. On December 2, 1954 the Senate voted to censure McCarthy. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a defensive treaty signed by the Soviet Union and seven other socialist republics in Europe. The Warsaw Pact was formed after the addition of West Germany to NATO. The Warsaw Pact served as a counter to the alliance of NATO. There was never a military confrontation between both groups. The groups main conflict was through difference in ideologies. -
Hungarian Revolution
This was a nationwide revolution against the Hungarians People's Republic. They were fighting the Soviet policies that were enforced. The revolution began on 23 October to 10 November 1956. This was the first threat that Soviet control had faced. A student protest leads a march through Budapest that lead to a student being killed. As the news spread of the murder, the Hungarian government collapsed. -
U2 Incident
A confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States after a U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down by the Soviet Union. The pilot was Francis Gary Powers who admitted working for the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Powers was sent to trial on August 17-19. He was sentenced to 10 years of confinement but later exchanged for a Soviet spy. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
After Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba the United States Castro as a liability and planned an armed invasion of Cuba. The CIA trained and armed Cuban exiles for the operation. The plan was approved by President Kennedy but then crippled it by not refusing air and naval support. The invasion ended as a failure for the United States. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier that separated West Berlin and East Berlin. The wall was also guarded by armed soldiers that fired at anyone who attempted to escape. The wall was constructed by Communist East Germany. The wall cut off West Berlin from East Germany. The wall also had a wide area that was named the Death Strip that contained anti-vehicle trenches and other defenses. The border was 96 miles long. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Soviet ships came across the Atlantic traveling to Cuba to deliver Soviet troops and nuclear missiles. Missile launch sites were starting to be built on Cuba and the missiles were capable of hitting anywhere in the United States. As the crisis became more critical the United States began preparing troops for another invasion of Cuba. Later Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba and the U.S. had to remove missiles aimed at the Soviet Union. -
Assassination of JFK
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States from January 1961 up until his assassination in November 1963. JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. JFK was shot by a former U.S. Marine Lee Harvey Oswald firing from a nearby building. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The invasion of Czechoslovakia was an operation by five Warsaw Pact countries- the Soviet Union, Poland, Bulgaria, East Germany, and Hungary. About 250,000 pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia. The invasion stopped the liberalization reforms of Alexander Dubček and made the communist party in Czechoslovakia stronger. -
Nixon Visits China
For President Nixon to symbolize Detente he visited China becoming the first President to visit the Communist People's Republic of China. It helped the two enemies normalize relations. Nixon's trip also benefited in cultural exchange. -
Reagan Elected
In the 1980 Presidential election, Republican nominee Ronald Reagan who was known for his fight against communism was elected as the 49th President. -
SDI announced
A strategic defensive plan announced by President Reagan. This was a spaced based missile defense. SDI stood for the Strategic Defensive Initiative. The concept was similar to science fiction. This strategy proposed using satellites and lasers to shoot down incoming Soviet missiles. The plan was nicknamed 'Star Wars' by the press. The plan would cost $170 billion. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
In 1985 President Reagan met with the leader of the Soviet Union to reduce the number of nuclear arms. During Reagan's time there he and Gorbachev became friends eventually leading to the reduction of nuclear arms in Europe. -
'Tear down this wall' Speech
In 1987 President Ronald Reagan traveled to West Berlin to find peace and bringing down the Berlin Wall. President Reagan demanded Gorbachev who was the leader of the Soviet Union to bring down the Wall in this speech. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin wall symbolized the removal of the Iron Curtain. The announcement to the end of the Cold War took place at the Malta Summit. The reunification of Germany took place a year later.
