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Mao Zedong Takes Control of China
Mao was a Communist leader in China. he used his plan of literacy and improved food production to win over the people. by 1945 he controlled most of China and on October 1, 1949 he created the Peoples' Republic of China. -
Korean War
When WWII ended Korea became divided between North and South. While the U.S. had withdrawn most of their troops the Soviet Union gave North Korea the money and supplies they needed to attempt to take over the peninsula.The U.S. resolved to help South Korea stop communism and soon there was war. -
Fidel Castro Takes Over Cuba
In the 1950's the U.S. was supporting the unpopular Cuban dictator Fulgenico Batista. The cuban people however resented him which led to a popular revolution. In 1959 fidel Castro overthrew Batista and became Cuba's dictator. -
Bay of Pigs
CIA wanted to take down Castro so they started training anti-Castro Cuban exiles for invasion. Unfortunately when they invaded President Kennedy wouldn't allow the use of airplanes and the exiles were defeated. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
When the U.S. bay of pigs invasion failed, the Soviet Union was convinced the U.S. wouldn't stop any expansion in Latin America. The Soviet leader Khruschev built 42 missile bases in Cuba. Kennedy demanded the missiles be removed. This put the world on the brink of a third world war and people began to worry. -
Vietnam War
North Vietnam was communist and wanted to become one nation. When the South didn't agree with North Vietnam's plan the U.S. sent troops in to help South Vietnam. However eventually South Vietnam surrendered and they became one Vietnam. -
Nixon Visits China
The U.S continued to remain very non-Communist including President Richard Nixon. When Nixon visited China his main goal was to get the chinese on their side as they went throguh negotiations with Russia. -
SALT Treaty Talks
After Nixon got back from China he met with Russia in a series of meetings to settle negotiations abbreviated SALT. Then Nixon and Brezhnev signed the SALT I Treaty which leveled the number of missiles each country had. -
Revolution in Iran
After WWII the leader of Iran the shah began to try to westernize and the U.S. supported him. However many people in Iran lived in poverty and the shah's secret police force brutally punished anyone who opposed him. In 1979 a group of Iran revolutionaries seized the U.S. embassy and held 60 Americans hostage adn made the shah go on trial. -
Civil War in Nicaragua
Since 1923 the U.S. had supported the dictator Anastasio Somoza. In 1979 a group of communist Sandista rebels overthrew Somoza's son the current Nicaraguan dictator. The rebel group's leader Daniel Ortega tried to take over but a group of anti-communists tried to stop him and civil war broke out. -
Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
In 1979 Soviet paratroopers landed in Kabul Afghanistan's capital. Thousands of Muslim leaders were arrested and many fled the country. -
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Iran/Iraq War
After the revoluition the new leader Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini began to encourage Muslim fundamentalists in other countries to overthrow their secular governments. Iraq was governed as a secular state and belonged to a rival muslim group. In 1980 war broke out in a territorial struggle that only ended in 1988 with a UN ceasefire in 1988. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
While Germany was divided between East and West many east germans would travel through austria to go to West Germany. in response to this in 1989 the East German government closed its borders. Riots broke out and by October the East German government was entirely toppled. The new leader egon krez opened the Berlin Wall and Germany was united again. -
Soviet Union Falls Apart
In August there had been a coup in the Soviet Union. The controlling political party the State Committee wanted to prove they were still the conrtolling party and brought tanks into Moscow. They thoguht this would show their force but the people were no longer afraid of the State Committee. After the failed coup 15 republics stated independence. On Christmas Day the president of the Soviet Union announced his resignation marking the end of the Soviet Union.