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Period: to
Cold War
This time was the state of political and military tension between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. -
Postedam Conference
During the Postdam Conference, Allies met to plan a postwar future. They agreed to divide Germany in to four parts: the Soviet Union would govern 1/3 of this land, and the remaining 2/3 (three zones) would be occupied by Britain France, and the United States. Roughly the same was done with Germany's capital Berlin. The Allies also planned to rid the world of Nazi thoughts and give Germany a debt since they caused World War II. -
Communism v Capitalism
The Soviet Union was ruled by a communist government which its people agreed with except for Yugoslavia. The West, led by a capitalist government, was growing scared of the spread of communism. This caused tension between them. -
Marshall Plan
Fearing Europe might turn into a communism continent, the Marshall Plan was set by the U.S. government to help the European economy. About $13 billion was given to them, and the plan helped Western Europe make a rapid recovery from the war andhelped preserve political stability. -
Berlin Airlift
The division of Germany and Berlin was meant to be temporary, but in 1947 the West started planning to make an independent German democracy, which the Soviet opposed. In 1948, the Soviets blocked off all land, rail, and water routes into West Berlin. The West organized the Berlin airlift to supply Berlin through air, and later the Soviet ended their blockade. -
Korean War
Communist North Korea wanted to take control of non-Communist South Korea. Both countries settled on an armstice in 1953, and most stayed the same. -
Arms Race
The West and the Soviet were both scared that one would be more advanced with its weaponry than the other. It's effect was a competition to develop better arms and military tactics. Many attempts to end this race were made and failed, but in 1988 they ratified the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which improved their relationship. -
NATO and Warsaw Pact
The United States, Canada, and most Western European countries made the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to counter Soviet Power. In defense, the Soviet Union and the Communist nations of Eastern Europe made the Warsaw Pact. -
Vietnam War
France tried to take control of Vietnam but failed, dividing the country in two-halves. The northern half was pro-communism while the southern half was anti-communism. America was concerned about the spread of communism in Vietnam. When a revolution began in the South, the United States sent military aid to fight the communist rebels. Eventually, the North Vietnamese began to fight alongside the rebels in an effort to reunite Vietnam. -
American Counterculture
Many people of color and women wanted to have the same rights as white men in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement took place, and was led by leaders such as Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. The second wave of feminism took place at this time. -
German Changes
Changes in Germany began when Hungary opened its border with Austria. East Germans traveled to Hungary to cross this border to the West. The East German government opened the gates of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. Berliners spontaneously began tearing down the wall, and soon it had finally fallen. Less than one year later, East Germany and West Germany were reunified as a single nation.
