-
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was created to aid the Eurpoean countries that had been damaged or destroyed as a result of the war. This plan gave more than $13 billion in aide to these nations. The plan was also intended to modernize business and industrial practices. The Marshall plan pushed communists out of power and created a divide between the west and the east. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a possible soulution to a supply problem during the cold war. The airlift came after the Soviets blocked off rail and road links to the Allied Sectors. Nations flew over 200,000 flights providing 13,000 tons of food daily. The success was humiliating to the Soviets. This showed that the Allies would go to far lengths to maintain independence. -
Creation of NATO
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The purpose of this alliance is to protect the freedom of all the members. THere are 28 member countries that belong to "NATO". Nato was originally formed to counter the communist east. NATO increased the tension that the U.S. and the U.S.S.R had among them. This lead to the formation of the Warsaw pact. -
The Korean War
World War 2 had divided Korea into two halves: the Communist North and the American occupied South. The reason why the Korean war began was because the North Korean communist army invaded the non-communist South Korea. The US, UN, and south Korea were pinned against the sea at Pusan. MacArthur organized an assault, in which he recaptured Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The Korean war represented the first armed conflict of the Cold War. -
Creation of the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was an organization that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces. This organization got its name because the treaty was signed in Warsaw. The Warsaw Pact includes the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. The Warsaw Pact was the response to NATO, a treaty organization that was formed by the US, Canada, and nine european nations. The pact remained intact until 1991. -
The Vietnam War
This war was the struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify Vietnam under a communist government and the US attempting to prevent the spread of communism. The Vietnam war was a continuation of the first indochina war. This was the first war that the united states lost. -
Soviet Launch Sputnik
Sputnik was the wrolds first artificial satellite. The launch of Sputnik brought the down of the space age and increase conflict between the US and the USSR. The primary purpose was to send back temperatures of space. This launced the start of the space race. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of Cuba. This failed because the US didnt expect the Cubans to be ready for the exiles.The plan failed to consider support for Castro and the strength of Castro's army. Kennedy can be blamed for giving the plan the go ahead. This action accelerated a rapid deterioration in cuban american relations. -
The Berlin Wall Goes Up
The was built in 1961, because millions of East Germans had escaped to WEst Berlin. The purpose of the wall was to seperate Berlin into East Berlin (communist) and West Berlin (free). The barrier/wall included guard towers. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. During the Crisis, the leaders of US and the Soviet Union, engaged in a 13 day political and military standoff. It is also the first documented instance of the threat of MAD (mutual assured destruction). -
U.S. Sends a Man to the Moon
Neil Armstrong became the very first man to walk on the moon. The U.S. found themselves behind in the space race after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. That was until they sent a man to the moon. This accomplishment pushed the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race and gave people around the world the hope of future space exploration. -
Olympic Rivalry: 1972 Basketball Game
The United States basketball team went against the U.S.S.R in the midst of the Cold War. The two teams took the floor just shortly after midnight on September 10, 1972. With 3 seconds left, the U.S was ahead 50-49. The Soviets put the ball in play, attempted a basket and missed. The buzzer went off and the US should have won. Nope. The refs gave the Soviets another play. The buzzer rang again. The US wins. Nope. The refs then put three more seconds on the clock. The Soviets ended up winning. -
1980 Olympic Hockey Game
The United States took on the Soviet Union in a hockey game. The US ended up defeating the defending champions 4-3, with a 20 foot wrist shot with 10 minutes remaining. The US goalie stoped 36 of the Soviets 39 shots, which was shocking seeing how they outshot the US 39-16. This was the beginning of the end. -
German Reunification
This day, marks the day in 1990 on which the German Democratic Republic acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. This is the day to celebrate the peaceful unification in Germany. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
The collapse of the Soviet Union was a great blow to the hopes of revolutionaries. In 1991, Gorbechev was forced to give up his power after a coup (overthrow of the government), which was the official collpase of the Soviet Union.
