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Creation of the UN
Created to replace the League of Nations, the United Nations would be better tooled to keep world peace and prevent another World War. The United Nations was created in 1945 with the signature of 51 nations. The United Nations would help avoid and deter conflict. -
Iron Curtain Speech
The Iron Curtain speech was a speech given by Winston Churchill describing the divide between communist Soviet controlled Europe and the democratic and capitalist controlled Europe. He called this division of Europe an Iron Curtain. -
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Chinese Civil War (After WWII)
Civil war fought between Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists. Mao Zedong led the Communist revolution and gathered lots of influence with the working class of people who were upset with the Nationalists. The war ended with the Nationalists controlling modern day Taiwan and the Communists controlling mainland China. -
Truman Doctrine
With the Truman Doctrine the United States stated that it would provide military, economic, and political support to any democratic nation under threat from authoritarian forces. This defied the Soviets making the divide bigger. -
Marshall Plan
A $12 billion dollar foreign aid program ($120 billion in modern day money) designed to help rebuild Europe after the devastation of World War Two. Under the Marshall Plan starvation decreased, production increased by 35%, unemployment fell, and an overall recovery sped up in Europe. Many countries owed money to the US. -
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Berlin Airlift
In response to the Berlin Blockade where the Soviets blocked Western access to Western controlled parts of Berlin, the Western powers began an airlift where they dropped supplies from planes to the city under blockade. The Soviets could not disrupt the airlift for fear of open war. -
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Cuban Revolution
Led by Fidel Castro, the revolt against government of President Batista was successful. Fidel Castro spoke to the angry working class who were being ignored by the dictatorial and tyrannical President Batista. Batista was supported by the Americans for his anti-Communist views and for allowing American companies to control large parts of the Cuban economy. Castro attempted legal means to enact change but to no avail. Castro supported communism and disliked the United States. -
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Warsaw Pact
Military alliance between the Soviets and Soviet influenced eastern European countries. This treaty threatened the Western nations making them form their own military alliance - NATO. -
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Vietnam War
War between North and South Vietnam which soon became a proxy war between Communists and Capitalists with the Soviets and Chinese being allied with the North Vietnamese. The United States and Australia supported and sent troops to the democratic South Vietnam. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was a Soviet satellite launched into orbit in 1957. This marked a major victory for the Soviets in the cold war because it signified that they were technologically superior and were winning the Space Race. -
U-2 Incident
An American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory in 1960. The Soviets discovered pictures of their military bases as well as spying technology within the plane. This would serve to be a major embarrassment to the United States. -
Bay of Pigs
This was a failed CIA operation meant to overthrow Fidel Castro and start a civil war. The CIA trained Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and rid Cuba of communism. The operation failed and worsened tensions between the Soviets and the Americans. -
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Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was created to keep the residents in East Berlin from escaping to the democratic West Berlin. Conditions were better in West Berlin so many people fled there before the wall was built. The wall was created by the Soviets to prevent more people from fleeing. -
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Cuban Missile Crisis
In response to the failed CIA Bay of Pigs operation and in response to American Missiles in Italy/ Turkey, the Soviets placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter American invasion of Cuba. After a naval blockade of Cuba installed by the Americans to prevent more missiles reaching Cuba, intense negotiations began between the Soviets and Americans. They settled on dismantling their missiles on both sides as long as the United States never invaded Cuba. -
SALT I
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks I and II were successful. These talks between the Americans and Soviets were to discuss the disarming of their nuclear arsenals to prevent a devastating nuclear war. The SALT I talk led to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which would eventually help reduce tensions between the two countries.
