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"Iron Curtain" Speech
One of the earliest events in the Cold War came about from a speech given by Winston Churchill. Churchill, an avid anti-communist said that an "Iron Curtain" had spread across Eastern Europe. All of these countries were now subject to Communist influences. This curtain was both physical and idealogical, representing both geographic location and ideological differences.
How Did the Cold War Start and End? (2013, November 13). Retrieved February 09, 2016, from http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.p -
Truman Doctrine
President Harry Truman pledged American assistance to those nations threatened by communism, starting the effort of containment. The idea was that if these countries were financially stable, they would not need to turn to communism. -
Executive Order 9835
This established the first loyalty program in the United States in order to determine the loyalty of government employees against the ideals of communism. They investigated nearly 3 million government employees, and fired many that were seen as risks. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Soviets placed a blockade on the sector of Berlin that would not succumb to their rule in order to pressure them into it. In order to combat this, the Allies started a massive airlift mission, supplying the city with food day and night. -
NATO formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization formed as a way to combat to the military forces of the USSR and a way to show strength to other nations. Its goal was to stop the spreading of communism and it vowed to militarily intervene in the affairs of those in the organization should the nation need it, -
McCarthyism
Though the idea of McCarythism, and the scare about communism in America, had been around for awhile before it got its name, its namesake Joseph McCarthy produced a document saying he knew the names of many secret communists. These accusations got many Americans believing their government was filled with spies and traitors. -
Korean War
The Korean war features Americas first victory of containment against the USSR. The United States held Russia at the 38th border, showing they wouldn't let Russia win, and doing so without the threat of nuclear warfare. -
Sputnik
The space race between the United States and Russia was intense, but on this day the Russians beat the United States with the launch of the first satellite to circle the globe. While Sputnik was nothing to be feared, the dominance of the USSR in this aspect caused President Eisenhower to refer to this instance as the "Sputnik Crisis." -
Great Leap Forward
With Mao Zedong controlling communist China, they began a plan to industrialize. The state took over major industries, including agricultue and steel, and this reform would eventually lead to the Great Famine. This catastrophe in leadership cause Mao to step down, and generally weakened the state. It was a loss for communism. -
U-2 Reconnaissance Plane
When the US tried to send a plane to spy on the Soviets, the Soviets shot it down. The US denied its involvement in spying all the way up until the Russians produced the remains of the aircraft. This event raised tensions between the two sides. -
Bay of Pigs
The United States tried to execute a risky plan to invade Cuba, though they were not at war with Cuba at the time. The invasion failed miserably, as Cubans knew they were coming. The US could not stop communism in Cuba, and this lead to its continued relations with Russia. These relations would eventually lead to the Cuban Missile Crises. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The russians secretly installed nuclear-arms bases on Cuba. When this was discovered, President Kennedy imposed a naval blockade on Cuba. Kennedy declared that any nuclear activity would warrant full retaliation. This was the closest the two nations ever got to real nuclear warfare, and the closest the two got to directly fighting. -
Non-Proliferation Treaty
The treaty was made with the intentions of preventing the spread of nuclear weapon technology. This treaty was incredibly important because both the United States and Russia agreed they would not use nuclear weapons. It still exists today. -
Russia Invades Afghanistan
After the Russians invaded Afghanistan, relations between the United States and the USSR were even more tense. This lead to United States boycotting the summer Olympics in Moscow. They also withdrew their support from an arms treaty. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Communist leadership was weakening, and when the wall came down both sides of Germany were reunited. This signalled an end to the Cold War.
