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Potsdam conference
The Potsdam Conference was attended by _Harry S Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. The leaders all hoped that the conference would allow them to discuss how to control Germany and the continued fighting against Japan. After the conference Germany was divided into 4 zones controlled by the Soviet Union, Britain, United States, and France (Potsdam Conference). (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. ) -
The Korean War
After Japan was defeated (1945), the Soviet Union occupied North Korea, and the US, the south. The border was the 38th latitude. The UN wanted reunification. North korea supported by the Soviets attacked South Korea on June 25, 1950. Finally on July 27, 1953, war ended. North and South border was near the 38th parallel. 1,300,000 South Koreans, 1,000,000 Chinese, 500,000 North Koreans, and 37,000 Americans killed. Korea is still a divided country (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web). -
The Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a treaty signed on May 14, 1955, by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The Soviet Union hoped to have an alliance of defence. They hoped to strengthen their power over the eastern European countries. The treaty led to unrest because of Soviet troops in their countries. Then, because of Glasnost, Warsaw pact countries started leaving Communism policies in 1989. (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web.) -
The Suez Crisis
On July 26, 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser the Egyptian president, nationalized the Suez Canal. The French and British who owned Suez were to help Egypt build a canal and they didn't, so Egypt seized the canal. Allies Israeli brigades invaded Egypt on October 29, 1956. December 22, the UN made the British and French troops leave; Israeli forces left March 1957. Nasser was a victor for Arabs and Egyptians. Israel got back shipping rights. (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web.) -
Sputnik launched
The first artificial satellite was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The launch of Sputnik caused the arms race to intensify in the Cold War, where both Soviet Union and USA were developing different technologies in weapons and space. In January 31, 1958, the US successfully launched its first satellite, the Explorer. (Bureau of Public Affairs. Web. 26 May 2016.) -
Cuban Missile Crisis
After the revolution Cuba, Cuba was dependent on the Soviets for military and economic aid. A Soviet SS-4 ballistic missile assembled for installation was photographed in Cuba. President Kennedy decided to use the U.S. Navy to block to prevent the Soviets from bringing missiles and equipment. On October 26, Soviets would remove Cuban missiles in return for the U.S. to not invade Cuba. The US and Soviets signed treaties to limit nuclear weapons. ("Cuban Missile Crisis." History.com) -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began in 1954, Vietnam was split into two parts (where France, Soviet Union, US and the Viet Minh who ran North Vietnam) which were North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted to reunite the country under Communism into one country. South Vietnam fought back to keep this from happening. The United States helped South Vietnam, but in January 1973 North and South Vietnam, the Viet Cong, and the US signed an agreement to stop fighting. (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. -
Glasnost & Perestroika
The Russian word glasnost is translated as “openness,” of political and social issues. The policy was instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev. It enabled the Soviet Union to become more democratic. First Gorbachev started perestroika, a program aimed at restructuring Soviet economic and political policy, then launched glasnost. Democratizing Soviet Union could overcome inertia in the Government. Glasnost increased individual freedom of expression. (Encyclopædia Britannica,Inc., 2016. Web.)
