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Cold War Events
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Berlin Blockade/Airlift
The Berlin Blockade/ Airlift took place in 1948 and it was when the U.S., Britain, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. It was significant to the Cold War because the U.S. foiled the Soviet Union's plan to hold West Berlin hostage. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a battle between North and South Korea. The war arose from the division of Korea at the end of World War II and from the global tensions of the Cold War that developed immediately afterwards. It was significant to the Cold War because it was the first military action of the Cold War. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War took place in 1955. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam—supported by the United States, Philippines and other anti-communist allies. It was significant to the Cold War because it was a proxy war, which meant that it was a war instigated by a major power that does not itself become involved. -
Sputnik
Spoutnik was was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union. It was significant to the Cold War because it was Russia saying that the Space Race was staring between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961. The Bay of Pigs was significant to the Cold War for many reasons. First, it soon was the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Second, it costed the United States dearly. And third, it brought Cuba into play as a new and significant factor in the Cold War. -
Creation of the Berlin Wall
During the early years of the Cold War, West Berlin was a geographical loophole through which thousands of East Germans fled to the democratic West. In response, the Communist East German authorities built a wall that totally encircled West Berlin. The Creation of the Berlin Wall was significant to the Cold War because for 30 years that wall was the defying symbol of the Cold War, separating families and keeping people from jobs and oppourtunities in the West. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was when leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. It was significant to the Cold War because it was the one time that a 'hot war' could have broken out. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan was a 9-year-long war between the Soviet Union and the Afghans. It was significant because Afghanistan is an important crossroads between India and Pakistan, and Iran and Turkey. It also would give the Soviets "global reach". -
Gorbachev's Reforms (Perestroika/Glasnost)
When Mikhail S. Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in March 1985, he launched his nation on a dramatic new course. His dual program of “perestroika” (“restructuring”) and “glasnost” (“openness”) introduced profound changes in economic practice, internal affairs and international relations. It was significant because Gorbachev’s revolutionary program swept communist governments throughout Eastern Europe from power and brought an end to the Cold War. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Fall of the Berlin Wall was when the head of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens of the GDR could cross the border whenever they pleased. That night, ecstatic crowds swarmed the wall. It is significant because to this day, the Berlin Wall remains one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of the Cold War.
