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Period: to
Cold War
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"Iron Curtain" Speech
This speech was given at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri by Winston Churchill. There was a crowd of 40,000. He gladly accepted an honorary degree and made a post-war speech which soon becameone of his most famous. -
Berlin Blockade
First major international crisis during the cold war
Germany and soviet union blocked all of the allies modes of transportation into Germany
Aim was to allow soviet union to supply Berlin with food so they would get practicial controld over the city -
Formation of NATO
NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was established to coordinate forces against the Soviet Union.
Agreed that an attack on one of the nations is an attack on all of them -
USSR gets the A-bomb
USSR exploded their first atomic bomb.This was very unexpected for the United States due to us believing that they would explode it so soon. Harry Truman was the one who orderd the buildup of atomic bombs in the U.S. -
Communist Revolution in China
The Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People's Republic of China. This announcement ended the civil war between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party. U.S. suspended diplomatic ties with PRC for decades -
McCarthy Witch Hunts
In the 1950's World War II made the public afraid of Communism. They were scared because they were set to believe that Communists would destroy the U.S.Joseph McCarthey was the leaderof the anti-communists.Thousands of Americans were accused of communism and subject to very harsh investigations. Primary subjects were governement employees, Hollywood stars, educators and union activists. -
Beginning of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was the struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government and the United States trying to keep from the spread of communism. Engaged in a war that many viewed as having no way to win, U.S. leaders lost the American publics support for the war. Since the end of the war, the Vietnam War has become a benchmark for what not to do in all future U.S. foreign conflicts. -
Korean War
War between South Korea, supported by United Nations, and North Korea, supported by Soviet Union. Divided along the 38th parellel. America provided South Korea with 88% of its troops -
The Marshall Plan
American plan to aid Europe
U.S. gave economic support to help rebuild European countries after WWII
U.S. wanted to stop the spread of communism -
Rosenberg Executions
Convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage in a time of war
Charges were related to passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union
They were courriers for the Soviet Union -
CIA helps overthrow unfriendly regimes in Iran and Guatemala
The 1954 Guatemalan was the CIA covert operation that boot out President Jacobo, with a paramilitary invasion by an anti–Communist army of freedom, this was called Operation PBSUCCESS. Early 1950s, the liberal Árbenz Government had carried out the socio-economic, the national appropriation and distribution to the peasants and of the unused. -
Vietnam Split at 17th Parallel
The 17th parallel division between North and South Vietnam was the outcome of a Chinese suggestion at a Geneva Confernce in 1954. China did not want a strong, united Vietnam on its southern border and was easily found guilty of the great powers to go along with their suggestion. Ho Chi Minh was clinging on Chinese aid and had to go along. Elections were originally set for 1956, but South Vietnan decided to not participate. -
Warsaw Pact
Treaty between the 8 communist states of Europe
Initiated by Soviet Union after its denial into NATO
Mainly in part becuase the Soviet Union didnt want another full scale invasion into its territory -
Hungarian Uprising
Nation wide revolt against the government and the Soviet policies
Ultimatley failed
Came into play later as one of the causes of the Soviets downfall -
Sputnik Launched
Russia was the first to successfully launch this ball. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed about 184 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth. -
Cuba taken over by Fidel Castro
A leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, established the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere. He also ruled over Cuba for nearly five decades, until handing off power to his younger brother Raúl in 2008. -
Bay of Pigs
Located on the southern coast of Cuba
CIA sponsored event that tryed to overthrow the Cuban government
Failed attempt -
Kennedy requests 25% spending increase for military
John F. Kennedy addressed the American people. He suggested an increase of U.S. military funding in readiness on the threat in West Berlin. Which would be saying that an attack on West Berlin was an Attack on America. He wanted to add to the military defense budget by $3.25 billion dollars and employ 200 thousand more troops. 85% of the people agreed even though this was a very touchy subject. -
Berlin Wall
Wall completely cut off East Berlin from West Berlin
Had gaurd towers and even trenches at some points
Claimed it was errected to protect its people from fascitst elements -
Cuban Missile Crisis
13 day confrontation between soviet union and cuba on one side and the U.S. on the other
Regarded as the point where the cold war was the closest time to becoming a nuclear war
U.S. wanted the soviet union to withdraw its nuclear weopons from Cuba -
Kennedy Assassination
John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, Texas
Assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald
Traveling with his wife and the Texas govenor and his wife -
Gulf of Tonkin
North Vietnamese attacked American destroyers twice
Stated by lyndon B. Johnson
Spawned the Gulf of Tonkin reselution -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
Diplomatic reselution between Iran and the U.S.
Group of Americans were held hostage for 444 days at the U.S. Embassy of Iran
Presidnet Carter said the U.S. will not yeild to blackmail -
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II Was Signed
The primary goal of SALT II was to replace the Interim Agreement with a long-term comprehensive Treaty supplied with broad limits on strategic offensive weapons systems. The U.S. goal as the SALT II negotiations began was to provide for equal numbers of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles for the sides. -
Soviet/Afghanistan War
Afghanistan’s centrist government was overthrown by left-wing military officers led by Nur Mohammad Taraki. Power was thereafter shared by two Marxist-Leninist political groups, the People’s Party and the Banner Party. This was part of the cold war andlasted about 9 years. Insurgents received military training and also billions of dollars from other countries -
Iran Contra Affair
Political scandal in the U.S.
Officials secretely facilitated arms to iran in subject to an arms embargo
Some officials thought it would help secure the release of the hostages -
President Reagan Proposes Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was suggested by U.S. President Reagan in 1983 to use ground-based and space-based systems to take care of the U.S from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. His proposal focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction. The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization was set up in 1984 within the United States Department of Defense to oversee the Strategic Defense Initiative. -
U.S. Troops Overthrow Regimes in Grenada
The Soviet Union and its ally Cuba tried to take over Grenada and change their government to a communist government. They sent people over to attempt to "correct" the government. President Reagan reacted immediately in October 1983 by sending in close to 7000 troops to attack the island and eliminate the party trying to spread communism. -
Gorbachev introduced Glasnost and Perestroika Policies
Glasnost was a policy that was used for for increasing openness and clarity in the governments organizations and activities the were involoved in the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev was the founder in the 1980's second half, Glasnost is usually doubled with Perestroika which is a reform instituted by Gorbachev at the same time. -
Gorbachev Ends Economic Aid to Soviet Satellites
With a new leader who goes by the name of Mikhail Gorbachev, many changes were made to the Soviet Union. One was being the end of Soviet Satellite funding in the Soviet Union. These were the first steps to the end of the Cold War. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall happened very suddenly. There were signs that the Communist bloc was weakening, but the East German Communist leaders insisted that East Germany just needed a moderate change rather than a drastic revolution. East German citizens did not agree. -
Hungary Becomes Independent
October 7, 1989, The Hungarian party turned into a communist party, and decided they wanted to renamed, the new name of the party was the Hungarian Socialist party. People apposed to this, completely filled up the streets, with almost 75,000occupants. The
communists acted poorly despite having more advantages of the most recent party. -
Lithuania Becomes Independent
Lithuania became independent when Soviet troops occupied it. From 1940 to 1990 Lithuania was known as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. On March 11, 1990, the Lithuanian Parliament announced the Declaration of Independence, and voted to have Lithuania set free from the Soviet Union. They became officially independent on September 6, 1991. -
End of the Warsaw Pact
Later in the 1880's, anti-Soviet and anticommunist acts throughout Europe began to end the Warsaw Pact. In 1990, East Germany decided to leave the Warsaw Pact in readiness for its reunification with West Germany. Poland and Czechoslovakia also had a very high want to back out of the situatioin. Along with all the protests and everyone in pain due to the economy and unstable political situation the Soviet Union ended the warsaw pact.
