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Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade took place from June 24, 1948 to May 17, 1949. This event included many countries including France, The Soviet Union, The United Kingdom, and The United States. The event took place in Berlin, Germany. The crisis arose due to The Soviet Union's attempt to force Allied powers in the west to abandon their post World War II jurisdictions in West Berlin. The Soviets in eastern Germany began a blockade of all rail, road, and water communications. I ranked the blockade at 6. -
Korean War
The Korean War took place from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. This war was fought between many countries including China, North and South Korea, The United Nations, and The United States. The conflict was mainly between the two Korean countries. Over 2.5 million were left dead as a result of the three year battle. The United States joined on South Korea's side, and Korea stayed divided as a result of the war. I ranked the Korean War at 2. -
Space Race
The Space Race took place from August 2, 1955 to July 17, 1975. The race involved both The United States and The Soviet Union. The two countries raced for domination of space flight technologies. The United States ended up winning due to a lack of money on the Soviet side. Many people consider the U.S the winner because of the moon landing. I ranked the race at 3. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War is one of the longest wars in U.S history. It was fought between The United States and The Viet Cong between 1955 and 1975. The war broke out because the communist government of North Vietnam wanted to unify the whole country. South Vietnam wasn't a fan of this, so war broke out. The United States agreed to leave shortly before the war ended, and this left South Vietnam to fight for itself. South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam shortly after. I ranked the Vietnam War at 1. -
Suez Canal Crisis
The Suez Canal Crisis took place from July 26, 1956 to March of 1957. A total of four countries - Egypt, France, Israel, and The United Kingdom - were involved. The event started when the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal. The canal was owned by French and British interests, so this was a bold move. Although nothing more happened, the two countries did secretly prepare military action. I ranked the Suez Canal Crisis at 9. -
U-2 Incident
The U-2 incident took place from May 5, 1960 to May 17, 1960. This involved both The Soviet Union and The United States. The U.S U-2 plane was shot down and this caused the collapse of a key conference. The Summit Conference in Paris was being held between France, The United States, The United Kingdom, and The Soviet Union. I ranked the incident at 5. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis took place from October 22, 1962 to November 20, 1962. This involved Cuba, The United States, and The Soviet Union. This nearly brought nuclear war because The Soviet Union had missiles in Cuba. Kennedy was forced to announce a naval blockade on Cuba due to the event. I ranked the Cuban Missile Crisis at 4. -
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War took place from October 6, 1973 to November of 1973. The war was fought between Egypt, Israel, and Syria. The war is called this because Egypt and Syria initiated the war on the Jewish holy day. This war may not seem too important, but it did draw both The United States and The Soviet Union into indirect confrontation. I ranked the Yom Kippur War at 8. -
Soviet War in Afghanistan
The Soviet War in Afghanistan occurred in December of 1979, and involved the Soviet Union. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in support of the communist. They did this due to a conflict occurring between the communist and anti-communist in Afghanistan. The government was overthrown, and forged ties with the Soviets. Afghanistan then began to extend land and social reforms. I ranked the invasion at 7. -
Soviets Downing Korean Air LInes Flight 007
The downing took place on September 1, 1983 and involved Korea and The Soviet Union. The airline was shot down by Soviet air-to-air missiles. This killed all 269 people aboard. The flight was en route to Seoul from Anchorage, but the crew made a very devastating error in navigation. They flew right through Soviet prohibited airspace, which is why they were shot down. I ranked the downing at 10. -
"Able Archer" Military Exercise
The exercise was introduced in November of 1983 and involved NATO and The Soviet Union. NATO conducted a game that modeled a nuclear attack of The Soviet Union, which followed the downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007. This did raise the risk of nuclear war, but I still ranked it 11.