-
Joseph Stalin
Born Joseph Dzhugashvili, he changed his name to Stalin, meaning man of steel. He emerged as the sole leader of the Soviet Union, and remained in power until his death. H.S. He led the Soviet Union to victory in WWII and is remembered as an aggressive dictator. -
United Nations
The UN is a international organization that promotes cooperation in plans to aid, develop, and secure the world. H.S. It effectively replaced the League of Nations. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the gaurded border between the Soviet Union and the rest of Europe. It was a military, political, and ideological barrier. H.S. It sealed off the eastern and central European Allies from communication and access to the west and other noncommunist areas. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine reoriented the Untied States foreign policy so they could possibly intervene in conflicts far away. It established political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat. H.S. It aided any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was drawn up by George Marshall, the United States secretary of state. It was officially known as the European Recovery Program. H.S. European nations recieved around $13 billion in aid and reached investment and industrial capacity in Europe, thanks to the United States. -
Berlin Air Lift
Cargo planes sent by the United States delivered food and supplies to those living in West Berlin during the cold war. This continued until May 12, 1949. H.S. It proved to the Soviet Union that the United States would not abandon the citizens of West Berlin -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATO was a military alliance between North Atlantic states to safegaurd them form the threat of the Soviet Union's communist bloc. H.S. NATO provoked the Soviet Union to sign the Warsaw Pact. -
People's Republic of China
The Peopl's Republic of China's capital was Beijing. Mao, the leader, declared, "The Chinese people have stood up!" H.S. Led to the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union. -
Korean War
North and South Korea were divided along the 38th parallel. The United States and United Nations supported South Korea. It ended in a stalemate in 1953 and both sides signed an armstice but never a peace treaty. H.S. Divided the nation of Korean into 2 seperate nations. -
Explosion of the First H Bomb
The first H Bomb was detonated on the small island Eniwetok. H.S. It gave the United States a brief advantage in the arms race against the Soviet Union -
Khrushchev
He emerged as the new Soviet Union leader after Stalin's death. He publicly denounced Stalin's abuse of power. H.S. He called for peace with the West. -
Ho Chi Minh
Minh was the President of North Vietnam. He convinced the French to leave Vietnam at the battle of Dienbienphu. H.S. Made an enemy of the United States by leading his forces against the South Vietnamese government. -
KGB
From 1954 to 1991 the KGB ( Committee for State Security) was the state security police of the USSR. H.S. They handeled internal security, intelligence, and secret police operations for the Soviet Union. -
Geneva Accords
The Accords were held to discuss the problems in Indochina and settle war debts. Also, the Geneva Accords stated the Vietnam would be an independent nation. H.S. The US did not feel that the Accords applied to them, so afterwards began to build up the State of Vietnam. -
Suez Canal and Nasser
Nasser, the leader of Egypt, nationalized the Suez Canal as a response to the harsh treatment they recieved from the United States. H.S. The first over the canal laid the ground work for the Six-Day War. -
European Economic Community
Six European nations signed a treaty to form and organization dedicated to establishing free trade among members of nations for all products. They gradually ended tariffs and allowed workers to move freely across borders. H.S. This organizaion was a step towards European Unity and led to Europe's economic boom -
Sputnik
Sputnik 1, sent by the Soviet Union, was the first artificial satellite sent into orbit. H.S. This gave the Soviet Union an edge over the United States, and began the space race. -
Vietnam
Vietnam was at war because of the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces and the United States. The United States lost most of thier public's support for the war. H.S. The war is seen as what not to do for all of the United State's foreign conflicts. -
Berlin Wall is Erected
The wall was built by East Germany to seal off West Berlin. The finished wall was patrolled by troops and topped with barbed wire. It was erected to stop East Germans from fleeing into West Berlin. H.S. It is significant because it divided the democratic West and the communist East -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States became aware that the Soviet Union was shippig missiles to Cuba, so President Kennedy asked the Soviet Union to remove the missiles. There was a week of tense confrontation after the US imposed a naval blockade on Cuba. Finally Khrushchev removed the missiles. H.S. This was another instence where feelings between the Soviet Union and the United States became more hostile, leading to other war actions. -
Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev was the leader of the Soviet Union following Nikita Khruschev. He befriended Richard Nixion, which helped relations between the Sovient Union and the United States. H.S. He thawed some of the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
Tet Offensive
Guerrilla forces came from the jungles and attacked Americans and the South Vietnamese on the Vietnamese New Year, Tet. H.S.The Tet Offensive was the turning point of the public opinion of the war in Vietnam. -
Helsinki Accords
The Helsinki Accords were a nonbinding agreement between the US and 51 other countries. They agreed to ease travel restrictions, promote economical, scientific, and cultural exchanges between countires, and respect human rights. H.S. It was a significant step towards releasing international tension. -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
60 American hostages were taken from the US Embassy in Tehran by a mob of Islamic revolutionaries. It was one of the many dramatic events during Carter's presidency. H.S. It made Americans question President Carter and whether or not he could have prevented the situation. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded to support the Afghan communist government with its anticommunism guerrillas during the Afghan War. H.S. The Soviet Union tried to take over after the war, and were unmoveable until the United States stepped in and fired antiaircraft missiles. -
Moscow Olympics
80 nations participated in the 1980 Moscow summer Olympics, not including the United States. The United States led a boycott against the games along with 65 other countries because of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. H.S. This led to the Soviet Union's boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Games and to the Goodwill Games of 1986. -
Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement in Poland
Lech Walesa led the formation of the National Committee of Solidarity and was elected as the chairman for Solidarity. H.S. It was the first opposition movement to participate in free elections in a Soviet-bloc since the 40s. -
Los Angeles Olympics
The Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles in 1984 were boycotted by 14 Eastern Bloc countries because of America's boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. H.S. In response to the boycotts there was a 1986 Goodwill Games held where only US and USSR athelets would compete against each other. -
Gorbachev
An energetic leader, he came to power of the Soviet Union. He urged perestroika and called for glasnost. He was responsible for many reforms, but brought economic turmoil. H.S. He pulled Soviets out of Afghanistan and urged reforms, but soon sent the Soviet Union spiralling out of control. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Perestroika and glasnost were two major reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev. Glasnost called for openness and perestroika called for restructuring the government and economy. H.S. There reforms along with others that were created by Gorbachev eventually brought economic turmoil to the Soviet Union. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was signed as a protocol for extending the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. It is the counterweight of NATO. H.S. It has helped with intra-alliance debate, conflict between the Soviet Union and its allies, and bargaining. -
Chernobyl
The Chernobyl Disaster was a nuclear accident that occured at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. It was the result of untrained personel and a flawed reactor design. H.S. It is the only accident in history that occured at a commercial nuclear power plant where people died from radiation poisioning -
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square was the site of a massive demonstration for democratic reform. It is a large public square in Beijing China. H.S. Jiang Zemin came to power and the market reforms were delayed. -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
The Berlin Wall was torn down as a symbol of freedom. It was also taken down because it was cutting off travel from East to West Berlin. H.S. The wall's destruction signified the end of oppression and the beginning of hope and freedom. -
End of the USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev was ready to sign a treaty reducing the power of the Soviet Union when he was detained at his summer home by Communist hardliners. Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia, takes over and a few months later the Soviet Union broke up. H.S. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the US was left as the sole superpower -
Boris Yeltsin
He was the first president of post-Soviet Russia. H.S. He put an end to the USSR. -
Putin
He is a Russian politician who became President of Russia in 2000 and ruled until 2008, then again came to power last year. He was an officer of the KGB for 16 years. H.S. Putin helped to return political stability and economic progress to Russia.
