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The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a communist revolution that happened in Russia. America showed its political stance against the communists thus kick starting the long tension between communist Russia and Democratic America. -
Potsdam Conference
The world's leading forces, America, Britain, and Russia all met to discuss the pressing matters of controlling Germany, recreating Europe's boundaries, win the war with Japan, and to create a lasting peace in Europe. At this conference the difference of ideas between Russia the the others was to great for them to completely agree on what the next course of action was. -
The Atomic Bombs
America when at war with Japan started working on the Manhattan project which was the creation of the atomic bomb. America bombed Japan on August 6 1945 and enraged Russia for not letting them in on their plan to drop the bombs. Russia now had a new fear of the willingness that America had to bomb two whole cities -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was an analogy used to describe the distinct difference in government ideology. One side was the West Democratic Germany and the other was the Communist East Germany. It portrayed the entire meaning of the war and showed the difference of government opinion to the world. -
Containment
America was afraid that Russia would spread its communist way of government in Europe. America and Britain tied the method of containment that is described as, " a long term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies." -
The Hollywood 10
The Hollywood 10 were actors and actresses that refused to speak when under trial for being accused of being soviet spies. With no evidence to support the accusations made against them, they felt it was unjust and refused to try to defend themselves. By keeping silent people thought they were trying to hide something so they were found guilty with no reason other then they were spies sending a shockwave of fear across America about being accused of being communists. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine helped to financially aid the countries of Turkey and Greece, so that they would nor turn or fall to communist rule from Russia and the entire Soviet union -
Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was the Soviet Unions idea to rebuild countries in Eastern Europe that were politically and economically aligned with the Soviets that were in poverty and political disorder. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a financial aid program to loan billions of dollars to European countries that were at threat to fall to communist rule. It showed to other non European countries that America is willing to pay and sacrifice a lot for other countries in need and made Capitalism seem more appealing. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was when the U.S.'s exported goods to Berlin by plane and flew supplies, food and medical equipment to the citizens of Berlin when the Soviet Union blockaded the entire city for multiple months showing that America will go to any extent to keep communism under control where it is. -
Alger Hiss Case
Agler Hiss was a government official that was accused of being a soviet spy and was convicted of perjury. Citizens of America began to worry about what other spies or criminals have infiltrated the government. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union completely closed off supplies and contact from Berlin to the rest of the world hoping that the allies would leave East Germany. However America and the allies decided to stay and aid Berlin and the people living there. -
NATO
The Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 and created an alliance between 12 different countries and over time more countries joined adding up to 28 total today that are against the spread and political belief of Communism. It created a sense of protection and increased tension between the Soviet Union and the Democratic countries around the world. -
Soviet Bomb Test
The Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb ahead of when the U.S. predicted they would and it sent a signal of fear to the rest of America knowing that Communist spies were in their country spilling vauleabl -
Korean war
America sent troops to Korea to fight against the spread of communism against the Chinese and kan soldiers. This was the first time America had sent troops and used military forces to physically fight against the spread of communism. -
Rosenburg Trial
The Rosenburgs were accused of espionage and the leaking of secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviets. They were found guilty, Ethel and Julius Rosenburg were then executed by electric chair. This sent a powerful and scary message to citizens and soviet spies. -
Assassination of JFK
President Kennedy was assassinated on the 22 of November 1953 in Dallas Texas when riding in a motorcade along with his wife and the Governor of Texas John Connally and his wife. They were rushed to the hospital were Kennedy was pronounced dead. Governor Connally was shot but recovered from his wounds. -
Army McCarthy Hearings
The Army McCarthy Hearings was a series of hearings held by The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. McCarthy counter-charged that the Army was using Schine as a hostage to exert pressure on McCarthy to not expose communists within its ranks. With all of the confusion hearings were held to clarify all concerns. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Dien Bien Phu was fought between the French and Viet Minh's communist revolutionaries in Indochina. This was the battle in Indochina that began the dividing of Vietnam at the 17th parallel. -
Geneva Conference
Several nations took part in the Geneva Conference in Geneva Switzerland from April 26-July 20, 1954. The purpose of this conference was to settle aftermath problems of the Korean War and the first Indochina war. -
The Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a collective defence treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland between the Soviet Union and seven Eastern satellite states of Central and Eastern Europe in response to the NATO agreement between America and many other countries. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a nationwide revolution against the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956 and in the end Hungary withdrew from the Warsaw Pact. -
U2 incident
CIA pilot who is known as Gary Powers had been on a top secret mission to over fly and photograph denied territory from his U2 spy plane very far inside Russia when it was shot down and caused great espionage to the Soviet Union. -
The Bay of Pigs
Cuban exiles trained and financed by America launched an unsuccessful invasion of Cuba from the sea in the Bay of Pigs. The plan was to stop and take power over Fidel Castro and his revolution. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a thirteen day period of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States when the U.S. learned that the soviets were deploying nuclear missiles in Cuba and America almost invaded Cuba with forces of their own. The discovery that the Soviets had nuclear weapons already way before the U.S. had predicted began to worry citizens and the government that nuclear secrets had been leaked to the Soviet Union. -
Assassination of Diem
The President of south Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem who was 'supported' by the U.S. created chaos in the nation as America became more involved in Vietnam trying to keep Communist influences from spreading. Diem was not missed by the people of South Vietnam due to his oppressive tendencies on religion against buddhists, which is most of the citizens religion in Vietnam. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress passed a bill allowing President Johnson to, "take any measures necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia." Which is practically the power to start war on his own without congresses declaration of war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation of Rolling Thunder was the name of the sustained constant bombing over Vietnam, using tactics like Napalm. Images from these raids began to put American citizens against the war in Vietnam, and began to question who is the bad guy in this war. -
The Tet Offensive
A offensive surprise attack by the VietCong on American forces during the Holiday of Lunar New year which normally a truce would be in place, however this year the Vietnamese had other plans to keep attacking. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was a powerful civil rights leader who had a lot of influence over the world was shot in Memphis Tennessee at the Lorraine Motel and died at the hospital about an hour later. -
Assassination of RFK
Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot several times at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning an award there. After the Nation seemed to have a sense that society was going mad and confidence in the U.S became low and anger towards other nations was on the rise. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Soviet Union, Poland, Bulgaria, East Germany and Hungary, countries from the Warsaw Pact invaded the Czech Republic and tried to reinforce communist methods against reformists. However this caused a distanced feel within the Soviet union. -
Riots of Democratic Convention
More than 100 riots took place in the year of 1968 when the democratic convention took place, so choosing a nominee was more crucial than ever turing a time of tension between American citizens. -
Election of Nixon
The Presidential election in 1968 between former vice president Richard Nixon and the at the time current vice president Hubert Humphrey. Nixon wanted to find "Peace with Honor" in the Vietnam war and gave a new hopeful leadership to American citizens -
Kent State
A peaceful protest against the bombing of cambodia was led by unarmed college students, when it turned violent by military force and 4 students were killed and other injured. Known as the Kent state massacre, citizens of America then stood more unified that change needed to be made. -
Cease Fire in Vietnam
President Nixon ordered the firebombing over North Vietnam to come to a halt. This indicated signs of the war on the decline to American citizens -
Fall of Saigon
Saigon which is the capitol of South Vietnam was overthrown when the North Vietnamese forces invaded south Vietnam. This turning point is when getting the troops out of Vietnam was crucial. -
Reagan Elected
Ronald Reagan the republican nominee beat opposer Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Reagan had different perspectives that scared and gave American citizens hope about how to end both ongoing wars and their aftermaths. -
SDI Announced
President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense initiative which was also called Star Wars due to the fact that in that time and place something of that technical caliber was not possible to achieve. The bluff however did work against the Soviet Union and they felt a blowing defeat that they could not compete with our money or tech. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
resident eagan and the Leader of the Soviet union meet in person in Iceland at the Geneva conference and hit it off. Both Political figures get along really well and new hopes for peace seem in sight to people all over the world. -
'Tear Down this Wall" speech
President Reagan goes to Berlin even though his safety was not assured to make a speech. He called out Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall even though his advisors in the government told him not to. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall had been a symbol of division for a long time and during the thawing of the cold war the spokesperson for East Germany began to let people through as more people arrived in Germany. The relations between East and West Germany began to grow less and less tense each year. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was destroyed in November of 1991 symbolizing the peace between both sides of the iron curtain thus ending the Cold War. Germany then moved towards having a democratic government.
