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Russian Communist Revolution
The Russian communist revolution was lead by Vladimir Lenin against the provisional government (lead by a group of leaders from the capitalist class). He wanted a Soviet government ruled by the people and working class. Lenin became the dictator of the 1st communist government. This connects to the Cold War with one of the major reasons western nations fear the Soviet Union, because they are a communist nation. The revolution is what starts the conflict between the U.S. and the Soviets. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that brought WW1 to an end. This treaty was written by the allies, which gave Germany no voice. The treaty stated that Germany takes blame for the war, pays war reparations, gives Alsace-Lorraine to France, and sets up the League of Nations. In addition, Germany's land was broken up. This treaty connects to the Cold War because the Soviets wanted to take control of the countries Germany was cut up into. The U.S. however wanted a unified Germany. -
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an organization created after WW1 in the Treaty of Versailles with the purpose of settling disputes between nations before they became bigger problems in the future. It started to fall apart during WW2 with most member nations declaring neutral, but France and Germany being involved and other nations falling to Hitler. The Treaty and the League lead to the rise of totalitarian dictators, which the Soviets had as a leader. This creates conflict and leads to the Cold War. -
General Assembly
The General Assembly is one of the six organs of the United Nations. It is made up of the House of the Representatives and the Senate.The assembly discusses international issues, which include peace, security, and budget matters. During the assembly each country gets one vote. In order for a decision to be made they need a majority vote. This relates to the Cold War because the U.S. and the Soviet Union were both part of the assembly. Since they have very different views problems came about. -
Yalta Conference
A conference during WW2 in which Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met to make decisions on what the world would look like after WW2. They agreed that Germany would be divided into four zones, but did not agree on reparations. Also, Stalin was given control over Eastern Europe with him allowing free elections. This connects to the cold war because Stalin did not follow the decisions made by not having free elections and pressuring countries to become communist, making the alliance enemies. -
Nuclear Deterrant
Nuclear Deterrence is the discouragement of using nuclear weapons in all ways possible. People knew that if a nuclear war happend no one would win. The first time this principle was brought about is when the U.S was the first to make an atomic bomb and test it. They threatened other nations with it like the Soviet Union. This connects to the cold war because this allows for the cold war to not end up in complete destruction of everything and creates rivalry to happen without nuclear weapons. -
United Nations
The United Nations was an organization by nations to try and avoid international conflict and negotiate peace. It was created after the League of Nations failed and World War 2 devastated countries. There was branches under the United Nation who had jobs to make sure that peace was being kept. This connects to the cold war because the UN was a base line for why the war begins. The U.S and the Soviets mostly disagreed and as the both held vetoes more and more conflicts occurred rather than peace. -
Nuremberg Trials
Trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany to address the mass killings that happened during the Holocaust and other genocides. During the trials, criminals were indicted on four counts (crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit crimes). The judges of the trials were Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, and the United States. This relates to the cold war because it was the start of tensions that rose between the different opinions of how Germany should be. -
Iron Curtain speech
A famous speech given by Sir Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, the Iron Curtain speech presented people with the beginning of the Cold War. It is also called Sinews of Peace with this important quote, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." Iron curtain became an important term of the Cold War representing the Soviet Union's efforts to separate themselves and their satellite nations from the west. -
Baruch Plan
Bernard Baruch, an advisor to the United States President had formed a proposal to the United Nations saying there would be international control of atomic weapons. Since the United States was the first to drop atomic bombs the Soviets grew mad not knowing their secret. The Soviets had then rejected the plan. This all led to the Cold War because an arms race had started between the two countries. -
Truman Doctrine
A U.S. foreign policy created by President Harry Truman, the Truman Doctrine was created to offer political, military, and economic assistance to any democratic nation under attack. Originally it was formed to help the Greek and Turkish governments contain threats. The United States used this tactic as a way to preserve democracy in Europe and to keep communism contained to the nations that are already controlled by the Soviet Union. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviets wanted more control over Berlin and the U.S refused, leading to them blockading West Berlin. Due to them blocking all types of travel the U.S had to come up with a plan to get supplies to the people so they started to airlift necessities. Planes landed every few minutes and the people got what they needed. The Soviets failed at getting control and the U.S looked technologically stronger. This connects to the cold war because it intensified relations and made the Soviets look cruel. -
Marshall Plan
George Marshall created a plan that was suppose to unify Europe. The Marshall plan was when the United States offered financial aid to European countries. Since Europe was so economically depressed, it was intended to rebuild infrastructure, help people find work, provide housing, and food. The United States was benefiting economically and becoming a stronger capitalist nation. This connects to the Cold War because the Soviet Union was not in favor of this plan, since they believed in communism. -
NATO created
NATO or the National Atlantic Treaty Organization is an alliance originally including the U.S. and other western nations. Towards the beginning of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was taking control of many nations in eastern Europe and creating satellite nations. In response to this NATO was created to stop the expansion of communism in Europe. Along with this, the nations that were apart of this alliance would protect each other from communism. This was the "framework" for military conflicts. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
Chinese communist leader, Mao Zedong, declared the creation of the peoples republic of china after he gained more support from the Chinese people than the nationalist party did. This announcement ended the civil war between the two parties as nationalist people were retreated to Taiwan, and communism became the official form of government in China. This relates to the cold war because this communism government in China is what makes the United states and allies fearful and mistrust them. -
Joseph McCarthy Speech
Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy gave a speech summarizing that the Department of State had over 200 members that were known as communists. He claimed that the United States government was practicing communism. This speech led to many Americans fearful that their government was full of traitors. Overall this connects to the cold war because Americans feared that communism would take over. U.S. citizens feel this way since they have very tense relations with the Soviet Union. -
Korean War
In Korea the Soviet Union had controlled the northern part while the United States had occupied the southern part of the country. The war all started when the Soviets had put a communist government in North Korea. The South had refused to unify their country. In the end, Korea was still divided along their natural boarders. This war relates to the Cold War because the Soviets and the U.S. were both involved leading to disputes about their different views of how Korea should be governed. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty Organization, is an alliance between the Soviet Union and other eastern European nations during the Cold War. It was created as a response to the formation of the NATO alliance between the U.S. and other western nations. When Western Germany joined NATO and rearmed, the Soviet Union saw this as a direct threat. The Warsaw Pact agrees that each nation will protect one another against attack. The Soviet Union saw that this alliance would unify eastern Europe. -
Sputnik Launched
The Soviet Union had launched the world's first artificial satellite, called Sputnik. They had launched this because they wanted to be able to study the Earth and the solar system. The United States and the Soviets were trying to see who can get to the scientific advancement first. This connects to the Cold War because the United States had feared that since the Soviets were successful it would later intensity the arms race. The two would then engage in a race to develop nuclear weapons. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The U.S military trained Cuban refugees to attack Cuba and try to overthrow communist Castro. They landed on the Bay of Pigs and tried to start an uprising. They continued to invade until they were brought down and failed miserably as they were greatly outnumbered. This connects to the cold war because the U.S looks ineffective and Castro continues communism, even becoming allies with the Soviet Union. More enemies are created, U.S vs. Cuba, and communism is not ended. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was built by the Soviets in East Berlin as a way to stop the outflow of refugees escaping communism in East Germany. After the wall was built, it was almost impossible to pass the border going from East to West Berlin. The Soviet Union also said that the wall was a way to stop the flow of western culture. The Berlin Wall became a physical symbol of the Cold War representing the division of communist East Berlin and democratic West Berlin. -
Building of Berlin Wall Begins
In order to stop the the refugees trying to leave communist East Berlin, the gov't begins building the Berlin Wall to separate East and West Berlin. At first the U.S did not like the wall as they had plans to wreck it but the Soviets held tight protection so they gave up. It showed that the U.S and Soviets were real enemies. This connects to the cold war because this wall was a physical symbol of the division between the democratic west and communist east, not helping relations between the two. -
Fidel Castro Proclaims Communist Cuba
When Fidel Castro declared that he and Cuba a communist nation, it created a new turn of events during the Cold War. The Soviet Union became more of a part of Cuba, aiding in their markets and military. Before Cuba declared itself a communist nation, there was tension with the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs Invasion put the U.S. in trouble now that there is a communist nation so close to them and in the western hemisphere. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A U.S aircraft took many images of missiles around Cuba, which was done by the Soviet Union. Kennedy ordered a "quarantine" of Cuba as it was a threat that missiles were so close to the U.S. As the blockade occurred Soviet ships turned around. After they offered an agreement that they would remove the missiles if the U.S. did not invade and removed our missiles from Turkey. This connects to the cold war because it was the moment in history when the two superpowers came closest to a nuclear war. -
U.S sends troops to Vietnam
Troops were send to South Vietnam by Johnson to try and stop it from being taken over by communist North Vietnam. Many people in the U.S hated the idea of getting involved and protest arose in the nation. Troops stayed there as long as they could until North Vietnam started to take control and protest sent them back home. It ended in Vietnam unifying by being a communist nation. This relates to the cold war because it makes tensions even worse and the U.S tightens policies against the Soviets. -
MAD
MAD, a military doctrine, stands for mutually assured destruction which came about because many nations started making nuclear weapons and the world knew that if they nations used them in a war there is guarantee that the entire would would be destructed. The U.S and Russian both had nuclear weapons and could destroy each other many of times with them so this idea connects to the cold war because it results in no nuclear weapons used, and no complete destruction. Containment is made. -
Non-Proliferation Agreement
This agreement was meant to limit the growth of nuclear technology in the world. Nations that already had nuclear weapons were able to keep them and other nations were allowed to develop nuclear technology without aid from other nations. It attempted to control the arms race of nuclear weapons between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War but failed. One successful outcome of this agreement was it made people all over the world start and consider the consequences of nuclear weapons. -
Apollo 11
As spacecraft Apollo 11 was launched from Cape Kennedy thousands of people watched to see if it would ever achieve their goal of getting to the moon and back to earth. When they did they shocked thousands of people and made history. Neil Armstrong on this spacecraft became the first man to walk on the moon. This connects to the cold war because this made it clear that the U.S has won the space race, which was a race to see which nation could make it to the moon first. -
Kent State Shootings
Students were killed and injured when members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a Kent campus crowd gathered to protest the Vietnam War. At the time many people disliked how the U.S got involved in the war by bombing Cambodia and the Guards disagreed. Them opening fire created the not only the campus to shut for some time, but protesting to arise all within the nation. This connects to the cold war because it made it hard for the U.S to be strong when this created a divided tense nation. -
SALT (1/2)
SALT stands for Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties. Both the United States and the Soviet Union met to discuss one of the major threats during the Cold War, nuclear weapons. SALT 1 was signed by both nations restricting the build up of nuclear weapons. SALT 2 was the second treaty that put a more specific regulation on different types of missiles. Unfortunately this treaty was never ratified by the U.S. and tensions between them and the Soviets continued to rise until the end of the Cold War. -
Fall of Saigon
Saigon is the capital of South Vietnam. The fall of this capital is important because it had marked the end of the Vietnam war and had started the beginning of the reunification of Vietnam under communist powers. South Vietnam had surrendered during this time because they wanted to avoid any more bloodshed. This connects to the Cold War because North Vietnam who invaded the capital had the Soviets support. The U.S. supported South Vietnam. Overall, both disagreed and tensions kept increasing. -
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping came to power in China after the death of Mao Zedong. He had a vision for China to open up to the world and start to modernize along with adopting western cultures. Xiaoping wanted to create better relationships with both the U.S. and the Soviet Union to release tension between the two countries. This is called detente. With the U.S., China traded goods to them, but worsened with the Soviet Union. Even with these efforts to lessen tension during the Cold War, it had little effect. -
Pope John Paul 2
John Paul was a Pope and sovereign of the Vatican city. He was the first non-Italian Pope in more than 400 years. John believed communism was not the answer. He used his influence to change political matters. He relates to the Cold War because he would go out and speak about how communism is wrong and never the choice to governing a country. -
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher became the prime minister of Great Britain during the cold war. She had close relations with president Reagan as they both had similar views on what they wanted the world to be against, communism. She heavily favored capitalism and and tried to reduce the role of government in the British economy. She connects to the cold war because she advocated with the U.S to stop communism and being against the Soviet ways in Europe. -
Soviets invade Afghanistan
The Soviet Union decided to invade Afghanistan immediately taking complete military and political control. Moscow did this to help the communist Afghan government fight against anti-communist Muslims during these civil wars. The Soviet government wanted to have a friendly socialist border government. Throughout the entire time of the Cold War, this was the only time that the Soviet Union went outside of the Eastern Bloc (area that they controlled in Europe) for a military expedition. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was first developed to strengthen the boarders so it would stop the East Germans from leaving for the West. East Germany did not want the people crossing out of the Soviet's zone. Many died as they tried to cross the concrete wall. It was eventually taken down due to the fact that the Cold War was coming to an end. As a result, people were able to cross the boarders freely. This connects to the Iron Curtain, where it had seperated Europe. -
Lech Walesa
Lech Walesa was the 1st non-communist president of Poland since World War 2. Throughout his life, Walesa fought for democracy and the rights of the people. When he was elected into office, it was a sign of the Soviet Union's power over eastern Europe slipping away. This occurs during the end of the Cold War and is also a sign of the decline of communism in eastern Europe as well. -
START 1/2
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was intended to limit the United States and Russia's warheads to 6,000. It also was to limit the nuclear delivery vehicles to 1,600. The START 2 was banning the use of intercontinental ballistic missiles. This relates to the Cold War because it was to limit the use of missiles. Both countries knew it would be a disaster if they went into a nuclear war.
