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Chinese Revolution
-1946-1950
-second part of Chinese Civil War; Soviet Union provided little aid for Communist party; United States gave millions of dollars in supplies to Nationalists
-Communist party won October 1, 1949; Nationalist refugees fled to Taiwan; resulted in another communist nation to arise -
Korean War
-June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953
-between Republic of Korea (South Korea, supported by United Nations), and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea, supported by China & Soviet Union)
-Soviet Union did not directly fight, but supplied North Korea
-Korean War was first armed confrontation of the Cold War -
Sputnik Launched
-October 4, 1957 Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first manmade satellite
-worried United States – “duck and cover” was taught in schools in case of World War III (a nuclear war)
-Sputnik launch fueled the space race between Soviet Union and United States (also created lots of tension) -
U-2 US spy plane shot down
-May 1, 1960
-US U-2 spy plane (purpose: spy on Soviet Union) was shot down over airspace of the Soviet Union
-great embarrassment to US; relations with Soviet Union deteriorated
-Powers was only survivor; he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment & 7 years hard labor, but was released February 10, 1962 in prisoner-exchange with Soviet officer Rudolf Abel. -
Berlin Wall goes up
-Put up August 13, 1961
-cut off West Berlin from East Germany & East Berlin
-The wall prevented people from East Germany to move to West Germany or Western Europe; the Eastern Bloc wanted to establish a socialist state in East Germany
-Throughout the Cold War, the Berlin Wall separated West Berlin and East Berlin, and was finally taken down in 1989-1990 -
Cuban Missile Crisis
-October 14-28, 1962
-Soviet Union & Cuba on one side, United States on the other
-US had nuclear missiles in Turkey aiming for Moscow, so Soviet Union proposed to place missiles in Cuba aimed at US
-Confrontation ended Oct. 28 when Kennedy compromised with Khrushchev – Soviets would dismantle weapons if US agreed to never invade Cuba
-Moment in which Cold War came closest to becoming a nuclear conflict -
Uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia
-1968
-caused by discontent with Soviet policies
-Alexander Dubek elected January 5, 1968 – he made many reforms which were not tolerated by the Soviet leaders. Failed negotiations caused Soviets to send tanks & troops to occupy the country until 1991
-Attempted democracy was overtaken by communist Soviet Union -
Russia Invades Afghanistan
-December 1979 – February 1989
-fought between Soviet-led Afghan forces and multi-national insurgent groups (Mujahideen)
-millions of Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran; hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed
-Afghan Civil War continued after Soviet troops left
-Geneva Accords (1988) signed
