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Stalin
Russian dictator who made ruthless measure to control the Soviet Union.
Significance: He made a totalitarian state and was an activist in the Communist Party. -
United Nations
Consisting of 26 nations who agreed to fight against teh Axis powers and keep peace. This also ended the Atlantic Charter Significance: This was the repalcement of the League of Nations -
Iron Curtain
Separation of Europe between the Soviet rule or the Warsaw countries to the NATO countries in the west. Significance: Divided the communist east to the democratice west -
Ho Chi Minh
Founder and leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party. He was the leader of North Vietnam and fought for their independance against France and the U.S. Significance: leader of the Indochinese Communist Party -
Truman Doctrine
This was an international relations policy led by predident Harry Truman. They would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent them from Soviet rule.
Significance: This was the beginning of the Cold War -
Marshall plan
Gave social aid to many people and provided help for the poor. Significance: The U.S. were able to provide economic aid to suffering European countries after WWII through the Marshall Plan. -
European Economic Cooperation
Provided work recovery program and aid. This program help rebuild Europe, reduced tariffs on trade, and better labor. Signifincance: The European Economic Cooperation was based on the Marshall Plan. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union wanted to control entire Berlin by cutting the supplies of the west democratic side. President Truman decided to do a continual airlift until the Soviet removed the blockade The United States airlifted Berlin to get rid of the Soviet blockade on the West.. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The NATO was made to contain Soviet domination. It unify and strengthen Western allies. significance: the NATO joined by western allies stopped the further spread of communism -
People Republic of China
Created after Mao Zedong took power. He ruled as a dictator and won the support of the majority of peasants. Significance: Mao led China in a communist rule -
Korean War
War between the communist North Korea with South Korea who were allies with the U.S. Significance: Led to the division of North and South Korea. -
Explosion of the first hydrogen bomb
The United States tested its first hydrogen bomb in Eniwetok. This bomb put the U.S. ahead on the arms race between the Soviet. Significance: The hydrogen bomb was used against Japan. -
Khrushchev
Russian president after Stalin. He was the new communist leader of the Soviet Union but he ended some of Stalin's type of ruling. Signifcance: He sent nuclear weapons to Cuba which almost led to nuclear war with the U.S. -
KGB (Committee for State Security)
It was considerd a military service and was governed by army laws and regulations. Significance: This was the main security agency for the Soviet Union. -
Geneva Accords
This was a conference in attendance of Cambodia, Republic of China, U.S, Soviet Union, and Vietnam. The plan was to make Vietnam an independent nation. Significance: divided Vietnam into North and South -
Warsaw Pact
This was a treaty between communist countries the Soviet Union being the leader. Significance: Consisted of East European communist countries who are against the NATO. -
Vietnam
Under the nationalist rule of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam fought against the French to gain independence. Later on Vietnam was spit into two. North became communist under Minh's rule and the South became a democratic state with the help of the U.S.
Significance: U.S. soon got involve int eh Vietnam war to help the south against communist rule. -
Suez Canal/ Nasser
When Nasser took power in Egypt, he nationalize the Suez Canal to stop western domination. Significance: Britain and France lost control of the Suez canal and the U.S. forced them to withdraw because it was the only easy route for trade between Europe and Asia. -
Sputnik
Russia made the first artificial satellite. The U.S. was worried because Russia became advance in technology that could help the military and had the advantage of spying from space. Significance: The U.S. tried to outdo Russia by sending the first man on the moon. -
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev was Soviet Union's communist leader. He restored Stalin's ideas. He arrested those who opposed communism. During his rule, the Soviet Union fell apart. -
Berlin Wall is erected
Ther Berlin Wall divided East Berlin from West Berlin. Communist East Berlin decided to build a wall to prevent the people from fleeing to the west. This division separated communism from democratic. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuba fell into communism under the control of Fidel Castro. As a support, Soviet Union decided to send missiles to Cuba. However, FDR saw this as a threat and put naval blockade around Cuba until the Soviet Union stop the imports of missiles. The Cuban Missile Crisis created fear of a nuclear war. -
Tet Offensive
North communist Vietnam attacked the South unexpectedly during New Year.
Significance: marked a turning point in public opinion in the United Sates. -
Helsinki Accords
This was an effort to reduce tensions between the Soviet and the western powers. The agreements weres signed by the U.S, Canada, and countries of Europe. Significance: It kept peace within the countries, gave human rights, and freedom. -
Iranian hostage crisis
Revolutionary Iranians seized the American embassy in Iran and took more than 60 Americans as hostage. President Carter at the time tried to resolve the problem by stopping the imports of Iranian oil and stopping Iranian assets which ruined the economy.
Significance: People were angry of Carter for not resolving the problem which led to his lost of presidency against Reagan. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
Russia signed agreements to reduce weapons. However, Russia soon invade Afghanistan to further spread communism. Significance: ended the period of detente with the U.S. -
Moscow Olympics
The United States and other 65 countries boycotted the games due to Soviet war in Afghanistan. Significance: This led to the boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. -
Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement in Poland
First non-communist controlled trade under the leadership of Lech Walesa. This was a social movement that used civil resistance. Significance: This was the first non-communist movement under the Warsaw Pact. -
Los Angeles Olympics
In response to the U.S.'s boycott of the 1980 Olypmic games, Soviet Union decided to not be involve in the 1984 games due to possibilities of political outburst and physical attacks. Other communist countries agreed as well and decided not to join the Olympics. Significance: Without competitions from Soviet Union and other communist countries, U.S. advance to 83 gold medals -
Perestroika and Glasnost
A change in the Soviet's politics and society under Gorbachev's rule. He then took the title of general secretary of the Communist Party. Significance: Encourged people to discuss the country's problems openly. -
Chernobyl
A nuclear power plant expoded in Ukraine causing great destruction and the spread of radioactive particles. There was high amount of catastrophy and destroyed many buildings. The Chernobyl Power Plant was under the control of the Soviet Union. -
Gorbachev
He was the president of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev democratize his country and decentralize the economy which put an end to communism in Soviet Union, Significance: After the fall of communsim, Soviet Union was divided. -
Tiananmen Square
Demonstrators occupied one China's huge public plaza in Beijing to rally for democracy.
Significance: Many were killed during the rally for going against communism and was later known to be the Tiananmen Square Massacre. -
Berlin Wall is torn down
People in East Berlin wanted to freely travel to the west. Later on, Communist rule began to weaken and the wall was torn down. The fall of the Berlin wall gave freedom in Germany and democracy ruled over the area. -
Yeltsin
He ended the Soviet Union and put Russia towards market reforms.
Significance:He was Russia's first elected President. -
End of the USSR
The declaration of independance of the twelve republics of the Soviet Union ended the USSR. The Soviets then created the Commonwealth of Independant States. After Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, the new president Boris Yeltsin was put responsible for the Soviet missile launching codes. The USSR fell apart after Mikhail Gorbachev stepped down in presidency, -
Putin
He was elected as Russia's new president. He pushed for a strong market economy. Significance: He increased the power of the central government which led to people thinking he is more autocratic than democratic.
