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Chinese Revolution
WHO: Communists led by Mao Zedong in the North and Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-Shek in the South. WHAT HAPPENED: The United States found Chiang's government dictorial, inefficent, and hopelessly corrupt. During this time, the support for communism grew throughout China. Between the years of 1944-1947, the United States kept peace between both of the sides, even though they still backed the Nationalists. The U.S. would not join the war, but sent $2 billion dollars worth of military -
Chinese Revolution (Cont.)
equipment and supplies. IMPACT: The impact that the Chinese Revolution had on the US and the Cold War was that it really opened the eyes of Americans, which were seeing that the spread of Communism was becoming more popular in uprising countries which lead to the policy of Containment and the Domino Effect. -
Korean War
WHO: This war involved the Republic of Korea who were from South Korea, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea who were from North Korea. WHAT OCCURED: North Korean troops crossed the border into South Korea whose main goal at the time was to reunify the country with the use of arms. U.S and Red China sent 100,000s of their own troops to back their Korean Allie. Communists fought hard, capturing 90% of the Korean Peninsula. 100,000 Chinese poured into Korea, sending Americans to retreat -
Korean War (Cont.)
their men. Americans reestablished a defensive line at the 38th parallel. This began the stalemate between North and South Korea which is still going on today. IMPACT: This created the idea known as a proxy war which is when two superpower nations fight in a different country and basically fight indirectly. The fighting indirectly was done mainly between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Korean War also ignited the tension between the two superpower countries. -
Uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia
WHO: Revolt against People's Republic of Hungary and the Soviet-imposed policies. WHAT OCCURED: The government of Hungry collapsed. Once this occured, thousands organized themselves into militia who battled agaisnt the Soviet officers and the AVH members. The Pro-Soviet communists and AVH members often became imprisoned or exacuted. Any former prisoners were realeased and armed. On November 10th, Hungarians were either killed or fled as refugees to other countries. -
Uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia
WHEN: August 20th, 1968 WHO: Czechoslovakian leader Dubcek WHAT OCCURED: Dubcek put a human face on socialism. He established a "humanistic socialist democracy which would guarentee freedom of religion, press, assembly, speech and travel". On the night of August 20th, troops from Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany all invaded Czechoslovakia which was occupied by Poland at this time. Anyone who iniated and supported liberal reforms were removed by force to the Soviet Union by secret. -
Uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia (Cont.)
They were also forced to sign a treaty that provided temorary stationing. IMPACT: The impact that the Uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia had on the Cold War was that it contributed to several Eurocommunist ideals that suggested further distance from reigning Soviet domination. -
Sputnik Launched (Space Race)
WHO: Soviet Union WHAT OCCURED: The Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, which was the world's first artificial satellite that was launched into space and sent into orbit the Earth. The launch of this satellite caught the eye of my people around the world, and made the United States feel vulnerable to a nuclear attack. This launch also made the US change their educational systems in school which improved schice, math, and foreign-language courses. IMPACT: The impact that Sputnik had -
Sputnik Launched (Space Race) (Cont.)
had on the Cold war was that this made America feel like they needed to one up the Soviets, which meant they had to launch a satellite up to orbit, which was a complete disaster the first attempt. But not too far behind, America finally suceeded to launch a satellite up into space as well. -
U2 Spy Plane Shot Down
WHO: The USSR and the United States WHAT OCCURED: A US aircraft pilot named Francis Gary Powers was making a secret high-altitude flight over the Soviet territory, when a Soviet pilot by the name of Igor Mentyukov took down his plane and took him hostage. Eisenhower was forced to tell the world that the U2 planes had been spying on the Soviets for years, and Powers was sentenced 10 years in prison. After2 years, he was released. IMPACT: This affected the Cold War by creating the most abrupt -
U2 Spy Plane Shot Down (Cont.)
tension that the United States and Soviets ever had towards eachother during the whole Cold War. -
Berlin Wall
WHO: East and West Germans WHAT OCCURED: Since Kennedy and Khrushchev could not come to an agreement on what to do with Berlin, a concrete wall was created in order to cut the city into two sides. This created East and West Berlin. In the West, communism depressed the citizens, which led 5,000 to try and flee to the East side. On the East side of the wall democratzation was sweeping across the Eupoean nations. In 1989, the Berlin Wall finally started to get demolished. IMPACT: This was one -
Berlin Wall (Cont.)
of the last major things that occured during the Cold war. This made the Soviets and United States open their eyes and realize how close they were to a nuclear disaster. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
WHO: Cuba, Soviets, and the United States WHAT OCCURED: The Cuban Missile crisis was when Khrushchev promised to defend Cuba by placing nuclear missiles on the shores of Cuba, aimed towards the United States, since the United States had placed nukes in Turkey which were aimed at Moscow. The CIA noticed the implements of the nuclear weapons and Kennedy responded with a warning that the US would not tolerate any nuclear fighting. During this time, all US citizens were timid and on edge, and -
Cuban Missile Crisis (Cont.)
200,000 American men were being concentrated to Florida to go and invade. A few days later, Khrushchev offered to remove missiles in return for Americans to not invade Cuba. IMPACT: This impacted the Cold War by having this be the closest the nations got to starting a nuclear war, and was a determining factor in a major international arms agreement. -
Russia Invades Afghanistan
WHO: Soviet led Afghan forces and Mujahideen WHAT OCCURED: Soviet Union was fearing the loss of losing the Communistic Afghanistan. Throughout the 1980s, Soviets put in billions of dollars into the war, along with hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers as well. However the Mujahideen was backed by many international countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and China. In the end, the Mujahideen prevailed and caused the Soviets to withdraw from the war. IMPACT: This was pretty -
Russia Invades Afghanistan (Cont.)
much the end of the Cold War, and led to the United States going in to take over the Taliban in 2001, which the Soviets did not take part in at the time.
