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Nuclear Arms Race
The Nuclear Arms race was the swift increase in the number of nuclear weapons held by both the US and USSR. This was done in order to demonstrate dominance over one another, with the belief that the more nuclear weapons each country had, the more powerful they were. Many tests were carried out during this period, with the largest being the Tsar Bomba (Russian) which was 50 megatons, the largest man made an explosion. after the cold war ended, the number of nuclear weapons decreased dramatically. -
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The Cold War
The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc. -
Berlin Airlift
In June of 1948, the Allied forces announced a new currency for Western Germany. The Soviets responded by cutting Eastern Germany off from all transport and supplies. The Allies response was very effective, with aeroplanes bringing supplies to the 2 million citizens. Over 200,000 planes carried supplies until the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949. -
Korean War
The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea with 75,000 troops. American troops entered the war a month later, but the fighting stalled at the 38th parallel and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. The main forces involved where the US and UN on South Korea's side, while China and the USSR offered support to the North Koreans. In July 1953, the Korean War came to an end. -
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Korean War
The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, came to the aid of South Korea. China came to the aid of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave some assistance. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, and known in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America or simply the American War, was a war that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia -
Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian Uprising occurred after the death of Russian dictator Joesph Stalin, which led to the Communist government losing power in the country. Khrushchev agreed to let Hungary become a democracy, but tension arose after they wanted to leave the Warshaw pact. Khrushchev sent tanks into Hungary, and the rebellion was wiped out, with over 4,000 Hungarians killed while thousands sought refuge all over the globe. Janos Kadar, a supporter of Russia, became Prime Minister. -
Space Race
The Space Race refers to the competition between the two big superpower rivals in the 20th century. The USSR and the United States, with their main goal being supremacy in spaceflight capability. The race was won by the US after they landing a man on the moon in 1969, even though the Soviets had put the first satlitte, animal and human into space. -
U2 Spy Plane Incident
The U2 Spy Plane occurred in 1960 when the USSR shot down a US spy plane and captured Gary Powers, the pilot of the aeroplane. Powers had been taking photos of top secret Soviet military installations and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Only two years later Powers was exchanged for Rudolf Abel, a captured Soviet spy. This event was potrayed in the film "Bridge of Spies". -
Building of the Berlin Wall
A blockade constructed in the earlier 60s by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in order to separate East and West Berlin. The wall was a physical metaphor for the separation between Capitalist and Communist governments. The wall was officially demolished in 1992 after the end of the Cold War -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Possibly the closest the world has come to nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union from 16th to the 28th of October 1962. This was due to the USSR wanting to place nuclear missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from the US mainland. The US responded with a naval blockade, which elevated tensions to boiling point. Luckily a deal was made and prevented massive disaster. -
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Soviet Afghan War
The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years, from December 1979 to February 1989. Insurgent groups known as the mujahideen fought against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
