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Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a physical boundary set up to seal Russia off from the West and other noncommunist areas. The division began at the end of World War II in 1945. The border ran from Russia in the north through eastern Europe. The Iron Curtain was finally lifter on June 27, 1989. -
Berlin Blockade & Airlft
On June 15, 1948, the Soviet Union halted all traffic entering west Berlin and the blockade began. Soviets didn't like the arrangement of territories by the U.S., Great Britain, and France. They didn't want a capitalist city in the middle of their territory. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade. The Soviets realized the wall was a failure because it didn't persuade them to reject their allies. -
Korean War
On June 25, 1950, the Korean war began when Noth Korea stormed into South Korea. Many thought the war was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world. The U.S. later stepped in to help South Korea. -
Sputnik
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite, Sputnik. The satellite was launched from a base in the Kazakh Republic. It was to correspond with a solar period ideal for studying the Earth and the solar system. The U.S. believed it was for more sinister ideas so they decided to launch their own and thus began the "space race." -
U2 Spyplane Incident
Dwight D. Eisenhower issued planes to gather information about Soviet capabilities and intentions. In May of 1960, the Soviet Union struck down a plane with a new surface-to-air missile they had developed. A plane flew over Sverdlovsk when it was shot down and the pilot was taken by Soviet forces. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
On April 17, 1961, cuban exiles began an invasion on the southern shore of the island. The United States was nervous of their new leader, Fidel Castro. The exiles surrendered after less than a day of fighting.