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The Communist Revolution
The bolshevik party, lead by Lenin, stormed the palace of the Czar to instate a new Communist government with an iron fist around the people of Russia. -
The Atomic Bomb
The USSR had known about the manhatten project long before it was unsheathed on the Japanese. there was no doubt in Stalins mind that his powerful army could survive a force that powerful. Stalin would aslo refuse to relinquish his hold over the countries of eastern Europe calling them a "buffering zone", essential to the USSR's security. soon there were spies on both sides watching the great nation's every move. Distrust was growing, pray it did not come to disquiet and annihilation. -
Potsdam Conference
Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin discuss the future of post war Europe. Heat rose between Stalin and truman. -
The Long Telegram
Truman, disturbed by the new aggressions of the Soviet Union inquired with a trusted American advisor named George F. Kennan living in Moscow. The response was extremely long giving it the nick name, "the long telegram". In essance, Kennan said that firm but non aggressive military threats would keep the red army at bay and in their own lands. This would become an essential part of the plan for containment. -
The Iron Curtain
In a shocking speach from Prime minester Winston Churchill, Churchill claimed that an iron curtain had descended across Europe. This curtain seperated communist countries in the east from the Democratic countries in the west. This speach would cause increasing alarm between the US and Britain for neither were actually ready for a battle of any kind. However, special attention would now be placed on eastern europe and soon tensions would begin to rise. -
The Molotov Plan
The Molotov plan was created in a response to the Truman Doctrine. in order to stop rebellion and maintain control, the soviet union would begin supporting the countries of eastern euorope by rebuilding and whatever other forms of support they might need. -
The Truman Doctrine
President Truman layed the groundwork for supporting domocratic countries in eastern Europe by givng Greece and Turkey massive economic support. Money, food, power, medicine were all givin freely with the condition that the country would remain democratic and allies to the US. -
Hollywood Ten
The HUAC were concerned with the power of movies to display subversive messages that might inspirepeopleto look at Communism in a possitive light. Ten hollywood movie stars would go on to not answer an questions under the protection of their first ammendment rights. Those ten actors were imprisoned and their careers came to a crashing halt. -
The Marshall Plan
George C. Marshall traveled to Europe a month after the events of the Truman Doctrine. Witnessing first hand the devistation and extreme poverty, Marshall proposed an open support to all pro western democratic countries in hope that they would not turn to communism as an alternative to starvation. -
Berlin Blockade
In response to the marshall plan revitalizing eastern Germany with the newly created curency, the deutsche mark, the Soviet union tightened their hold on the city or Berlin. sectioning off half the city with a heavily fortified baracade. the was in fear of losing power of the people of Berlin and the people in general. -
Berlin Airlift
In response to the Berlin Blockade, and the growing insistancy from the USSR for the US to get out of the Capitol drove President Truman to a stout desscision, "we are going to stay, period". The US sent air craft through the Soviet territory to the western part of Berlin to keep the people full and supplied being at risk of being shot down everytime. the much needed supplies became essential to suvival against the Communist threat and saved many lives. -
NATO
NATO is the National Atlantic Treaty Organization. Created to link the pro wetern/ anti communist Nations together in a treaty. In an event that any Communist or otherwise hostile nation were to attack a national member of NATO they would be aggrivating every other country in pact with the country in question. -
The first Soviet Bomb
The first Soviet nuclear bomb was a shock to the US. The bomb came years ahead of experts predictions and the USSR, after being a bit cross with the success of the marshall plan and the Truman Doctrine would have a new spring in it's step... As well as a new bite to it's bark. -
The Chinese Communist Revolution
Mao Zedong overthrew the Democratic government in china to instate a new Communist government that would inspire uprising Communist Governments in Asia for years to come. -
The Rosenburg Trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were found guilty of espionage and intent to trade top secret US secets to the Soviet union. bot were sentenced to death by the electric chair. -
The Korean War
Devided at the 38th paralell, Korea became a Democratic south supported by the US and a Communist north supported by China and Russia. The fight really began when the North invaded the South with intent to take over and Nato threw in massive retaliation. Soon the fight was between two much bigger nations outside of Korea and became a key point in cold war history. -
Alger Hiss's conviction
Alger Hiss, a former state department employee was tried for spying for the Soviet Union by a former Communist by the name of Whittaker Chambers. He was found guilty of purgery and imprisoned forthree and a alf years. -
The Army McCarthy Hearings
McCarthy was known as an increadibly powerful political demigog/ juggernaut. Known for convincing the public that everyone is possibly a communist, his political "crusade" came to a crahing hault after accusing high ranking officials in the US military of Communist conspiracy. Durring which his public opinion was demolished as all of his cards were layed on the table. Showing him as the cruel, coniving and manipulative tyrant that he was. -
Warsaw Pact
After the success of NATO, the USSR and all other Soviet republics descidedto create their own agreement of friendship in order to assure eachother protection and safety. -
Hungarian revolution
Beginning as a student protest, the hungarian revolution took to the streets of Budapest and was the first real threat to Soviet power in history. When the students tried to capture a state broadcasting tower to put out their demands, the "state protection authority" came in and shot them on site from the Parliment building. One student died and his body was wrapped in a Hungarian flag and paraded through the streets. They fought to free themselves from their Soviet instated Government -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
1,400 Cuban refugees taking residence in Miami were trained to fight and overthrow the Cuban president Fidel Castro. Their invasion failed and caused a few political problems -
U2 Incident
The US regularly sent spy planes to scout out information on Soviet territory. However, in 1960, one of their planes was shot down and the pilot was captured. The US tried to pass it off as a NASA weather planes but were soon forced to admit that it was infact a spy aircraft taking pictures of Soviet military bases -
Invasion of Czechlosovakia
Operation Danube was put into action because of the uprising of reformist practices in Prague. The invasion was successful in the sense that it slowed down the reformist's practices. However it created a major disturbance in the harmony of the Communist block from the point on. -
Nixon visits China
A diplomatic and increadibl political discision that changed the entire perspective that the US had on China and that China had on the US. After 25 years of political iscolation, Richard Nixon resparked relations between the two countries for the good of the United states future. -
The election of Ronald Reagan
With the popular vote for Reagan and his running mate George H. W. Bush 10 percent higher than the previous president Jimmy Carter, after this Reagan took the title of president as well as the responsibility of dealing with Russia. -
SDI announced
Announced by the president himself, the SDI or "strategic defence initiative" was a plan to turn the scientientists to a non Nuclear option for the United states that would render the atomic weapons obsolete. Scientists would set up strategic intercontinental and subamarine missiles to respond as soon as the command was given an defence of the United States. -
Geneva Summit with Gorbachev
For the first time the president met in person with Gorbachev to discuss the arms race and start diplomatic relations between the two world super powers. Each were also speaking on terms of their nuclear arsenal, Gorbachev saying that he might just cut Russias arsenal in half. -
Reagans 'Tear down this wall' speach
In 1987, Reagan traveled to Berlin and reopened negotionations on nuclear armement reduction. The main point however would be to bring down the Berlin wall and make Germeny free. -
fall of the Berlin wall
after years of the Soviet Union crushing rebellions and political reformists, the premier of the Soviet Union would announce that the Iron curtain would be taken down and encouraged east Berliners to take part in tearing down the wall deviding them from their families. For the US and Soviet Union this was the end of a total diplomatic cut off and the lack of a wall symbolised the freedom entering the Soviet Union.
