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The Marshall Plan
Economic plan devised by the United States to rebuild it's allies economies after WWII. The United States also offered it's aid to the USSR and their allies however they didn't accept the offer, thinking the United States would hold it over them to become capitalist. -
Creation of NATO
A military alliance between United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Canada, and Portugal that strengthened the United States' influence in Eurpoe against the Soviet Union. -
Korean War
Marked the first miltary action of the Cold War. North Korea supported by China, invaded South Korea, supported by the United Nations. American trroops were militarially involved in an attempt to get rid of international communism. However, the U.S. ended up agreeing to an Armistice with North Korea. No progress was made during the war in the division of North and South Korea, and the U.S. was afraid further fighting would lead to even more casualties and possibly another World War. -
Rise of the Berlin Wall
Following World War II there was a noticed divide between Germany. A communist East Germany and a ecomonmically better off West Germay supported by the United States' Marshall Plan. Before the wall went up many East Germans escaped to West Germany, the East government put up the wall in an attempt to stop this from happening. -
Creation of the Warsaw Pact
A military alliance to protect the Soviet Union made in response to the creation of NATO. This alliance was between The Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. -
Vietnam War
This war was fought between North Vietnam supported by communist countries and South Vietnam supported by the United States again getting invovled as a strategy of cotainment. The United States and South Vietnam relied on air strikes and superiority while the North Vietnamese used guerilla warfare. American military involvement in this war ended in August 1973, a year later North and South Vietnam were reunited. -
Soviets Launch Sputnik
In Response to the Soviet's launch of Sputnik in October of 1957, U.S. citizens were dissappointed with the fact that the Soviets were the first to launch anything in space. The U.S. people thought they had one upped us in the arms race. In response, President Eisenhower amped up our space program and later launched Explorer I on January 31, 1958 to begin the space race. -
Bay of Pigs
Fidel Castro (Cuban Nationalist) invaded nation's capital Havana to overthrow American supported President. The preceding two years ,The U.S. Department of Defense and CIA worked to overthrow Castro's rule. In April 1961 they invaded Cuba with the thought that it would be a successful fight, however U.S. surrendered as they were outnumbered by Castro's troops. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest thing the world has had to a nuclear war. The USSR was on defense as they were aware the U.S. had the ability to knock out the entire Soviet Union, whereas they only had missiles strong enought to wipe out places in Europe. The Soviet Union began making a missile in Cuba. When President Kennedy got wind he held a debate with Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev and averted the situation -
Nixon Visits China
As the first president to go to China since its infancy, this was an important meeting for the United States as it created a communist ally for our country during the Cold War. Nixon made plans for future economic trade. This political and economic relationship between the U.S. and China drove other countries to also make ties with China. -
USSR Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan for different political and milary related reasons, to fight the insurgent group the mujahideen. The war between the two countries lasted 10 years. Some of the nations in the United Nations supported or opposed Soviet Union's involvement, the U.S. invested about 2 billion dollars to create an anti- Soviet army with people from 20 different Muslim nations. -
U.S. Invade Grenada
Grenada was an important isalnd during the Cold War because Cuba was influencing it to become commuinst. The United Stated invaded the island to squash the possible further influence of communism on the island and set the tone for other similar international conflicts. Few months later, the United States government had gained control of the island. -
German Reunification/Fall of Berlin Wall
On this night East Germany or the Soviet Union brought down the Wall that had seperated Germany since after WWII. Berlin had been a focal point during the cold war because it was a hole in the Iron Curtain. After the fall of the Berlin wall German families and friends were reunited later leading to the reunification of Germany. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
All the events leading up to the fall of The Soviet Union were critical to the outcome. In the end, the economic state and political state of communism in the Soviet Union was proved non successful. -
Berlin Airlift
After WWII, Berlin was unequally split in terms of food production between East and West Germany. East Germany was more industrialized than the West causing a point of tension. In response, America cut off industrial supplies to East Germany and West Germany started to develop an anti-communist government. The United States spent billions of dollars dropping lots of food and other supplies to West Germany over the period of a few days.
