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Iron Curtain
Winston Churchill gave a speech at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri, after receiving an honorary degree. Church introduced the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the division between Western powers and the area controlled by the Soviet Union. This phrase soon lead to tensions that would lead to the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
Provided $13 billion of economic aid to help Western Europe make a quick recovery from the war and preserve political stability. Proposed after Truman believed that if conditions in the countries got worse, they would turn to communism. -
Berlin Blockade & Airlift
Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to try and force the West out of Berlin. First crisis of the Cold War. Berlin Airlift organized to supply West Berlin by air. Successful as the Soviets called off the blockade of Berlin in May 1949. -
War In Korea
After WWII, The Soviets and US divided Korea into two parts. Northern area was made communist by the Soviets and the Southern area opposed communism. This caused tensions to occur and led to Northern Koreans attacking South Korea to unite the country under communist government. -
Space Race
The United States and Soviet Union have a struggle to gain an advantage over each other which leads to a rivalry about who would have the technological advantage over the other. The Soviets launch the Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. In response U.S. government founded NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1958, putting them back to the forefront of space research. -
U-2 Incident
U.S. had flown numerous 'successful' missions over and around the U.S.S.R., however on this particular event after the CIA sends a plane to spy on Soviet Forces a U-2 Piloted by Francis Gary Powers which was brought down near Svedlovsk, Soviet Union. This event affected relations between US and USSR. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion is a failed invasion the US Government made in hopes of overthrowing the leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro. His actions worried the United States after an alliance between the Soviet Union and close proximity to American territory. Invaders were defeated quickly. -
Rise of The Berlin Wall
Borders between West and East Germany close. Eventually sealed off with a complex series of wall, gun positions, heavy guarding, as well as fortified fences. Prevents anyone from coming in and out. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The US discovered that the Soviets had given Cuba missiles, saying they were to protect Cuba from an American attack. President John F. Kennedy reacts by demanding the soviets to remove the missiles. A tense standoff occurs and after two weeks of negotiation the missiles are removed and the US removes their own missiles from Turkey and promises not to attack Cuba. -
Salt I
To reduce tensions between the superpowers, Nixon starts the negotiations known as Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The talks led to agreements limiting the number of nuclear weapons on each side as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which prevented the development of weapons designed to shoot down nuclear weapon's. It allowed for vulnerability which is vital for deterrence. -
Salt II
Similar to the first Salt, Salt II was the signing of a treaty between Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev, which looked to try and control the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. -
Fall of The Berlin Wall
East Berlin's Communist Party Leaders announce a change in city relations with West Berlin and opens back up the ability for Germans to cross over the borders and flee towards Western areas.The wall was broken in celebration of this moment. -
German Reunification
After conservative parties voted on the decision to unite both parts of German once more, an official political reunification would take place. The economy in Eastern Germany would collapse however, leading Germany into recession.
