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NATO is Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 that includes the US, Canada, and ten other countries. The countries of NATO pledged to help one another out if any of them were under attack. -
Korean Conflict
Northern Communist Korea and Southern Korea are split on the 38th parallel or latitude. The US help South Korea fight against the spread of Communism. -
Warsaw Pact is Formed
In 1955, the Soviet Union reacts to NATO by forming the Warsaw Pact. It divided Europe into Eastern and Western blocs. The East was mostly Soviet forces, and the west were Western Democracies. -
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Chinese "Great Leap Foreward"
The Great Leap Foreward was a period in which Mao encouraged the people in China to make an extreme effort to increase output of agriculture and industries. -
Communistm in Cuba
By 1959, Fidel Castro and his guerrilla army set out transforming the country to Communism. -
A Wall Divides Berlin
In 1961, East Germany put up a wall that separated East Berlin from West. This was done to keep the communist East Bernliners from escaping to the West. When it was officially finished, it was patrolled by guards and nearly impossible to escape from the East. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
In the summer of 1962, the United States learns that the Sovet Union is shipping nuclear missles to Cuba. In October of the same year, a naval blockade was made by the US around Cuba. For a week, the world was on the verge of all out nuclear way until Khrushchev agreed to remove the missles. -
Vietnam Conflict
The US enters the Vietnam war to prevent the spread of Communism from Northern to Southern Vietnam after the Maddox, a US Naval ship was believed to have been attacked by the North in 1964. -
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Detente
A period of relaxation of tension. During the detente, some efforts were made for peace. -
Soviets in Afghanistan
In 1979, the Soviets became involved in a long war against Afghanistan. The US joined in to help Afghanistan fight off the Communist Soviets. This ended in 1989 when the Soviets retreated. This was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. -
Eastern Europe's Independance
By the end of the 1980's, Communist governments start to fall. The East Germany government allows people to travel, and the Berlin wall starts to fall as Germans celebrate in the streets. -
Soviet Union Falls
After the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the Soviets tried to reform, which soon "spiraled out of control." The reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev brought economic turmoil; there were shortages and factories being shut down. At the end of 1991, the Soviet Union separated into 12 independant nations.