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D-Day
D-Day was the invasion of Normandy, France as part of operation OVERLORD. This operation was the biggest amphibious invasion in military history and included over 850,000 soldiers and 148,000 vehicles. This invasion led to the surrender of Germany. D-Day was instrumental in turning the tide of the war because it helped the allies regain control of the western front. -
Creation of the United Nations
After WW2 the nations wanted to avoid another major conflict so they created the united nations. This organization was created to maintain international peace and security. The organization also has a number of other agencies inside it such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The united nations has been key in preventing another world war. -
NATO Created
NATO was created in 1949 for the purpose of collective security. NATO was made with the intention to discourage nationalist militarism by creating an organization for the major powers. Through NATO, the US has a much larger presence in Europe than it ever. Since the creation of NATO there has not been another major world war. -
China becomes Communist
China was struggling so many poor farmers and peasants turned to communism. At first, the Chinese communist party (CCP) partnered with the nationalist party against the warlords but, they were betrayed by the nationalists. The two parties fought for twenty years but eventually the CCP won. Since 1949, the CCP has controlled china and the US now is at opposition with China. -
Sputnik Launched
At 7:28pm the soviet union launched the first satellite ever in human history. This shocked the US because they were in a race with the USSR to develop the first space technology. This launch led to more countries going to space and even inspired the creation of NASA. -
U-2 Spy Plane Incident
On the 1st of may in 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down deep over soviet air space. This ruined the chance of a peace summit between the US and the USSR. On the first day of the Paris summit, the USSR condemned the US for spying. This fueled the paranoia of the cold war between the nations. -
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Bay of Pigs Invasion
The bay of pigs invasion was an invasion of Cuba by about 1,500 Cuban exiles that opposed the occupation of Cuba by Fidel Castro. This invasion was financed and orchestrated by the US government. This invasion was unsuccessful and made the CIA and the Kennedy administration look bad. This failed invasion strengthen Castro's dictatorship and led him to work very closely with the USSR. -
Construction of Berlin Wall Begins
The construction of the berlin war signified the divide between ideologies during the cold war. The berlin wall separated west Germany and the soviet sector. Many people tried to escape across the border and about 600 people were killed trying to escape. The berlin wall was a visual representation of the cold war. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban missile crisis was a two week period were nuclear war looked very close. After the bay of pigs invasion the USSR agreed to send Cuba nuclear warheads to deter any future invasions. The US retaliated by setting up a naval blockade to deter any more weapons from being sent to Cuba. The conflict was eventually resolved and both countries stood down. This event was significant because this was the closest the two countries had ever come to nuclear war. -
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Ratified
The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banned the testing of nuclear weapons completely. When leaders realized the effect of nuclear fallout on people and the environment they quickly addressed it. This ban is significant because it put a control on nuclear weapons and led to the end of the cold war.