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Period: 1948 BCE to
Berlin Blockade
Stalin saw Western Germany's market as a threat to the Soviet Union and created the Berlin Blockade, which cut off all transit from West to East Germany and blocked citizens from supplies. American president Harry Truman felt as though remaining in Berlin was vital to the nation's sway, and began sending supplies by plane to East Germany. Stalin eventually lifted the blockade, but the Soviets were unreceptive to change. This was a rejection of liberalism as it removed freedom of beliefs. -
Yalta Conference
Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Theodore Roosevelt met at Yalta as representatives from the "Big Three", or the Soviet Union, Britain, and the United States, respectively. The meeting was to plan wartime actions and the future, and it was at this Conference that they tried to redraw the map of Europe. One of the key principles of Yalta was that, after the war, European countries would be able to have free elections and decide their own futures. Therefore, it was a push for more liberalism. -
Potsdam Conference
U.S President Harry Truman and Soviet Union's Joseph Stalin met with Britain's Churchill and Clement Atlee in Potsdam, Germany. This conference is considered the start of the Cold War, as the "War of Ideas" between communism and democracy was prevalent. Truman and Stalin recognized each other as rivals for domination, as the U.S and Britain grew increasingly concerned about the Soviet sphere of influence. This took away liberalism, as it took away the freedom to form your own political beliefs. -
Hiroshima Bombing
The bombing of Hiroshima was enacted by Harry Truman of the United States. Atomic bombs were planted and set to explode in Japan, mostly due to their unwillingness to surrender in the Second World War. Whether or not the Truman administration decided to bomb Hiroshima for political reasons, such as intimidating the Soviet Union, or only militaristic reasons is unknown to this day, but this event helped kickstart the Cold War, and is, therefore, a rejection of progressivism. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
The Bombing of Nagasaki caused horrible devastation and played a large role in ending World War Two. Nagasaki was mostly a port city, and not Harry Truman's first choice of location, but the American administration eventually decided it would suffice. Seeing as the Soviet Union was very quiet about their nuclear weapons-or lack thereof-it is likely this acted as a form of deterrence via mutually-assured destruction. This was a rejection of liberalism due to the mass desolation this attack caused -
Truman Doctrine
The President of the United States at the time, Harry Truman, decided to fight the ideological conflict of the Cold War by creating alliances and providing aid to other governments who were resisting subjugation. The U.S went on to provide $400 million in aid to Greek and Turkish governments, as they were attempting to defeat the appeal of communism in their countries. As this Doctrine sought to provide aid to nations under the threat of authoritarianism, it was an increase in liberalism. -
Molotov Plan
Soviet satellite states rejected the Marshall Plan as they believed it was an attempt to weaken them and make the economy reliant on the U.S, so Stalin and the Soviets created the Molotov Plan-their own aid package for Eastern countries. These bilateral trade agreements consolidated the markets of Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, solidifying the Soviet sphere of influence in Europe. This was a rejection of liberalism, as it enforced a totalitarian regime. -
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Marshall Plan
An American Plan that would help the healing of countries that were left torn by war. This plan was meant to help both communist and democratic countries, but the East denied aid and created the Molotov Plan. Americans asked recipients to undergo economic assessment and join a united economy-the free-market policies it imposed clashed with Soviet views. Yet, 17 other nations accepted aid, costing the U.S $13 billion. This increased liberalism, as countries received aid despite political beliefs. -
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Brussels Treaty
The Brussels Treaty was an agreement signed by Belgium, France, Britain, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, forming an alliance of collective security. A goal of the treaty was to show that Western European states would cooperate, encouraging America to play a role in ensuring the security of Western Europe. The Brussels Treaty lead to the formation of both NATO and the Western European Union. This event increased liberalism as it ensured collective security. -
Soviet Creation of Nuclear Weapons
The race for atomic power became an increasingly urgent issue toward the end of World War Two. The concept of deterrence was especially important here-if both superpowers had nuclear weapons, neither would attack due to the idea of mutually-assured destruction. The Soviet Atomic Bomb Project was classified research that was approved by Joseph Stalin to obtain nuclear arms. The concept of Soviet nuclear warfare against another nation is naturally anti-liberalist, as the SU rejected progressivism. -
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
NATO is a military alliance designed to protect member countries from the Soviets. Currently, NATO acts as a form of collective security-if a country is attacked, other member countries will aid them, which is a form of deterrence. Originally, the members were Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, The U.K and U.S, and Canada. This was a push for liberalism, as it is protecting countries that have chosen to be liberal democratic. -
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NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command)
NORAD was formed by Harry Truman and Louis St. Laurent of the United States and Canada, respectively. The aim was to build a united air defence system on Canada's north shores. The Distant Early Warning Line was used to give the U.S a warning of incoming missiles from the Soviet Union. Missiles were also part of the plan to assure mutually assured destruction, acting as deterrence. This was a push for liberalism, as it was built to protect liberal-democratic countries from an autocratic regime. -
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Korean War
The Korean War was a battle between the communist forces of North Korea against South Korea. Canada contributed to supporting the defence of South Korea, under William Lyon Mackenzie King. The war was a rejection of liberalism, as North Korea attacked South Korea for having different political systems. -
Stalin's Death
Joseph Stalin died in Moscow, Russia at the age of 74. Although the Soviet Union remained dictatorial under Nikita Khrushchev, the death of Stalin began an era of change. Khrushchev opposed Stalin in many ways, but a big difference was that he mostly sought pacific coexistence with the West; save for the Cuban Missile Crisis which began when he aimed nuclear missiles at Florida. Overall, Stalin kept a more severe government than Khrushchev, and therefore this marks an increase of liberalism. -
Vietnam War
When the Vietnam War began, America and the Soviet Union were looking to save money and lessen tensions, which was done by diplomacy. Dwight D. Eisenhower of the U.S wanted to spend more on social programs and less on the War. America backed South Vietnam against Soviet-supported North Vietnam. Providing this aid was a strain on the U.S economy, and superpowers began arranging an era of Detente. This was a push for liberalism because it was a more stable era in an otherwise rocky storyline. -
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Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution was the first major nationalist trial to the Soviet Union's control of Hungary. This revolt was due to general discontent of the Stalinist regime of the Hungarian People's Republic, as well as domestic policies imposed by the USSR on Hungary. Initially anarchic, this strike was not well-received by the Soviet Union, and many dissidents were forced to flee West. While the riot itself is liberalistic as dissidents were advocating for more freedom, the SU response was not. -
Fidel Castro Taking Over
Fulgencio Batista was a capitalist military leader who aimed to turn Cuba into a 'playground' for the wealthy, leaving the Cuban poor feeling marginalized. Fidel Castro was a dissident of Batista's policies and led a socialist revolution, overthrowing the capitalist government. This reform centralized and redistributed land. This was an increase in liberalism because his revolt overthrew a corrupt government, and gave citizens more freedom. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
After Castro's reform, Cuba agreed to buy oil from the Soviets, causing American factories in Cuba to stop processing it. Thus, Castro nationalized the refineries, cutting ties between the U.S and Cuba. America received many Cuban exiles and plotted to take over Cuba-the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Cubans trained and supported by the American military attempted to attack but ultimately failed due to poor support. This loss increased Castro's popularity and solidified Cuban relations with the S.U. -
Creation of Berlin Wall
After the removal of the Berlin Blockade, Cold War tensions were at an all-time high. East Germany secured the border between them and West Germany, claiming the wall was to 'protect the East from Western aggression." The West saw this border as an attempt to prevent Eastern Germans from going to West Berlin, where they can seek NATO protection. This increased Soviet power in central Europe. This was a rejection of liberalism because it disallowed citizens to form an educated political opinion. -
End of Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis began when U.S president John F. Kennedy became aware that Soviet-supported missile bases were being built in Cuba, and ordered a naval blockade. The two superpowers were coming close to nuclear war. Finally, Kennedy agreed to withdraw American missiles from Turkey, as long as the Soviet Union would move its missiles from Cuba. A period of detente followed the end of the Missile Crisis. This was an increase in liberalism, due to the ability of the superpowers to coexist. -
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Nuclear Arms Treaties
The overlap of the Cold War and the nuclear age created mounting tension as the War advanced, and the threat of being a martyr of nuclear combat was a real prospect. In 1963, the U.S and S.U signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty which limited nuclear testing. The SALT talks followed in 1969, then the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in 1972. Seeing as these treaties were signed in order to protect freedoms, they increased liberalism. -
Solidarity in Poland
The fight for Polish solidarity was largely to do with the Warsaw Pact. Four member countries, (S.U, Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary) invaded and occupied the CSSR and reversed the reforms Alexander Dubcek had implemented. Seeing as these regions were fighting for solidarity, this is a liberalistic event. -
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Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet response to NATO-a collective defense treaty established by the SU and several satellite states. Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania. It assured that if one member was attacked by outside forces, other member countries would support them. This was against liberalism, as member countries were not given the choice to join, they were forced into it. -
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Afghanistan / Soviet War
The SU invaded Afghanistan, causing the CIA to equid Afghan resistance fighters with supplies from World War One. This war became very expensive very fast, with the budget rising to $750 million. When Soviet soldiers retreated, they left the Afghan army to fight the Mujahedeen. This was a rejection of liberalism because freedoms of Afghan citizens were overlooked. -
Berlin Wall Falling
The removal of the Berlin Wall was a pivotal moment in the Cold War. When the Wall fell, the iron curtain fell with it, and thus, Eastern communism began to crumble. United States president Ronald Reagen famously gave a speech in front of the Wall, challenging his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev. The falling of the Berlin Wall was a major push for progressivism and liberalism-the totalitarian state of the SU was beginning to crumble, reinstating democracy. -
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Czechoslovakia Revolution
The Czechoslovakian Revolution, or the Velvet Revolution, was a protest of the one-party government of the Communist Government of Czechoslovakia. The revolt was non-violent in nature and was a result of the 41 years Czechoslovakia spent under one-party rule. The result was the end of this rule and the subsequent dismantling of the command economy, as well as conversion to a parliamentary republic. This was an increase in liberalism, as Czechoslovakia was now under a more democratic government. -
End of Cold War
The Cold War ultimately ended as the Soviet Union began to lose their influence; the last war ended in Afghanistan, the Berlin Wall came down, and citizens began revolting against the Soviet states of Eastern Germany. While there was no true victor in the Cold War, America had bled the Soviet Union dry through proxy wars and the nuclear arms race. Overall, the end of the Cold War is a huge movement for progressivism, as the Soviet Union dissolved and left the U.S the only superpower at the time.