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Chinese Revolution
Who was invovled: Chinese Nationalists and Communists, Japanese
What happened: The Nationalsits led by Chiang Kai-Shek and the Communists led by Mao Zedong, face the Japanese threat by resistance.
How it impacted the Cold War: A huge impact on the Korean War, and nearly triggering it earlier than the war had actually happened. -
Korean War
When: 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953
Who was involved: South/North Korea, America, Soviet Union, United Nations
What happened: Korean Communists (backed by USSR) took control of the North, and Korean Nationalists (backed by UN and US) took control of the South. The 38th parallel was created. The situation escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The war has never officially ended and created the DMZ.
How it effected the Cold War: Not a win or lose for either side. -
Hungary and Czechoslovakia
When: 23 October – 10 November 1956
Who was involved: Soviet Union, Hungary, Czechoslovakia
What happened: Despite the failure of the uprising (Hungarian and Czechoslovakia revolt), it was highly influential, and came to play a role in the downfall of the Soviet Union decades later.
How it effected the Cold War: The result was a Soviet victory, and eventually the entire revolution was crushed. -
Sputnik
When: 4 October 1957- 26 October 1957 (Last contact)
Who was involved: Soviet Union, America (slightly). Mainly because it caused a 'space race' between the two countries.
What happened: The first artificial Earth satellite was shot into space (orbit) by the Soviet Union.
How it effected the Cold War: There wasn't much effect on the actual war, but the event inspired new engineers and technology development that effected the future overall. -
U2 Spy Plane Shot Down
Who was involved: Soviet Union, America
What happened: A United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union.
How it effected the Cold War: The incident was a great embarrassment to the United States and prompted a marked deterioration in its relations with the Soviet Union. -
Berlin Wall
When: August 13, 1961 -- November 9, 1989
Who was involved: The Allies (specifically Soviet Union)
What happened: Allied powers turned Germany into West versus East, democracy versus Communism. This created East and West Germany. East Germans fled, and thus the Soviet Union seperated Berlin in half (East/West) with the "Iron Curtain".
How it effected the Cold War: Was very costly for the Soviet Union, and only ended up being torn down eventually. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
When: October 14 – 28, 1962
Who was involved: Soviet Union, America, Cuba
What happened: Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict
How it effected the Cold War: - Withdrawal of the Soviet Union's nuclear missiles from Cuba
- Withdrawal of certain United States' nuclear missiles from Turkey and Italy
- Agreement with the Soviet Union that the United States would never invade Cuba without direct provocation -
Russia invades Afghanistan
When: December 24, 1979 - February 15, 1989
Who was involved: Soviet-led Afghan forces against multi-national insurgent groups called the Mujahideen
What happened: The decade-long war resulted in millions of Afghans fleeing their country, mostly to Pakistan and Iran. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan civilians were killed in addition to the rebels in the war.
How it effected the Cold War: - Geneva Accords of 1988
- Withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan
- Afghan Civil War continues
