-
U.S Puts Marshall Plan Into Action
This plan was a program meant to provide aid to Western Europe after World War 2 and provided the country with 15 million dollars to help with the country's finances to rebuild everything that was damaged. Also, the Marshall Plan was meant to halt the spread of communism in Europe. This plan helped with reducing the risks of a country looking toward following a dictator during hard times of war. [1] Least Threatening -
NATO Set Up
NATO had a primary purpose to unify and strengthen the Western Allies' military response to threats of a possible invasion of western Europe by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. This was created by the United States, Canada, and other several Western European nations in order to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. [1] Least threatening -
Berlin Airlift
This was when the Soviet forces blockaded railways, roads, and water access to Allied-controlled areas of Berlin. The blockades led the United States and the United Kingdom to respond by airlift meaning they would send food, fuel, and other necessary supplies to Berlin by Airlift or by flying in from the sky because all other routes were blocked by the Soviet Union, the blockades created tension and fights. [2] Worrisome -
U.S Develops H-Bomb
President Harry. S Truman had decided to support the creation of the H-Bomb which was a hydrogen bomb that was a weapon theorized to be a hundred times more powerful than the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War 2. Was developed to give the United States an advantage in the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, but could cause a hydrogen bomb war being capable of killing millions of people. [2] Worrisome -
Korean War
The involved conflict between North Korea and South Korea because, the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th Parallel which was there to divide the two countries, and then invaded non-Communist South Korea. This caused a war lasting from 1950 to 1953 leading to about five million soldiers and civilian deaths. [ 5 ] Most Life-Threatening -
Soviet Union Develops H-Bomb
Developed the hydrogen bomb as a way to have more power and have a weapon to protect themselves from the United States and other countries that may want to start a war with them so they can level the playing fields of war. However, this could cause MAD with the United States if they both have a developed hydrogen bomb. [2] Worrisome -
Hungarian Revolt
Was a large group of people that were uprising in protest against the domestic policies that were implemented by the USSR and protested against the Soviet Union. Khruschev then ordered the Red Army to take down the Hungarian Uprising by force and Hungary was under merciless repression causing thousands of Hungarians to flee to the West and 2,500 Hungarian people were killed. [4] Threatening -
Bay Of Pigs Invasion
Began with a CIA -financed and trained group of Cuban refugees that landed in Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro because the United States feared communism would take hold of America. However, the attack had failed miserably and the island was put under quarantine to prevent supplies from getting to Cubans and the blockade was seen as an act of war. [4] Threatening -
Berlin Wall Built
The wall was built by the German Democratic Republic in order to prevent the population from being able to escape the Soviet-controlled East Berlin to the West o Berlin. This physically divided the city of Berlin separating families and many people were separated from their jobs and creating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. [3] Dangerous -
Cuban Missile Crisis
This crisis was a dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union and how these two superpowers were the closest to ever creating a nuclear war. The crisis was over the sphere of influence in the Caribbean and when an American plane discovers nuclear missiles in Cuba the United States decides to fight back with nuclear missiles until agreements were signed and both United States and the Soviet Union slowly removed their missiles away. [5] Most Life-Threatening -
Czech Uprising (Prague Springs)
This was a strong forceful attempt to moderate and soften communism in Czechoslovakia to grant additional rights to the country's citizens as an act of partial decentralization. This led to invasions marching through Prague and killing protesters and establishing a permanent Soviet presence to prevent further reforms from taking place. [4] Threatening -
SALT Treaty Signed
Was a treaty signed between the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the number of ICBMs being built as well as limiting the number of anti-ballistic missile sites creating a detente. This also slowed down the cold war as it limited nuclear arsenals to reduce destruction, threats, and killings. [1] Least threatening/harmful -
Vietnam War
Began with an independence movement against the French colonial rule and the fear of communism spreading throughout Asia making it harder to contain the spread of communism, also labeled as the Domino Theory. This war was between South Vietnam and North Vietnam that lasted from 1957 to 1975 and killed more than three million people half being Vietnamese civilians and soldiers. [5] Most Life-Threatening -
Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union began the invasion by dropping troops into Afghanistan and deploying motorized divisions across the border then stormed the Afghan palace poisoning the president and the ministers. The invasion created a brutal 9-year-long Afghan civil war that after it ended left 1 million civilians dead and 125 000 Afghan and Soviet combatants. [5] Most Life-Threatening -
Polish "Solidarity" Uprisings
This was a social movement that used methods of civil resistance to advance and further process the causes of workers' rights and speed up the changes made. However, the government's attempts to resist and destroy the union through impositions and martial law in Poland had failed. The solidarity led to the spread of anti-communist ideologies and movements throughout the Eastern Bloc leading to the weakening of communist governments. [2] Worrisome -
Iron Curtain Collapse
The collapse started with peaceful opposition coming from Poland and the collapse was meant to symbolize the efforts of the Soviet Union to block itself from open contact with any Western and non-Soviet controlled areas. The iron curtain had ceased to exist when the communists had abandoned the one-party rule in eastern Europe leading the curtain to collapse and starvation since the curtain caused the country to fall into economic debt and problems leaving people to starve. [2] Worrisome -
Berlin Wall Torn Down
The wall was built to divide Germany and when U.S. President Ronald Reagan had given a famous speech in front of the gate of Berlin declaring "Mr.Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Then in 1989 the German people finally broke down the wall as they were yearning for freedom and wanted to change the city's relations with the west as the division was causing bad living conditions. [1] Least Threatening -
START
Strategic Arks Reduction Talks were meant to control the United States and the Soviet Union that aimed to reduce the arsenals of nuclear warheads, missiles, and bombers capable of delivering those weapons between the two countries. This was to reduce the likely hood of a nuclear war or any war with such drastic weapons that could destroy a country. [1] Least Threatening
