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Red Scare
After the Bolshevics took over Russia, Americans became concerned they would overthrow the government. The government passed laws making it a crime to call for the overthrow of the government. The arms race helped raise the tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The space race was a result of this scare. We were always trying to bet them to prove who was the best. -
HUAC
HUAC was formed to investigate the full range of radical groups in the United States. Over time it came to focus only on possible threats of communisim in the United States. It most famous investigation was of the Hollywood Ten. They refused to give information on other possible communist in Hollywood and were sent to prison. -
Yalta Conference
The meeting was between Franklin Roosevelt, Winton Churchill and Joseph Stalin to make plans to end the war. A key goal was to reach an agreement on what to do with the soon to be conquered Germany. They agreed to divide it into 4 sectors. -
UN created
United Nations. 50 countries including the United States met in San Francisco California to establish the United Nations. The UN was meant to encourage cooperation among nations and to prevent future wars -
Potsdam Conference
Leaders of the Allied nations meet in German city of Potsdam. There were growing concerns that Communism and Soviet influence might spread to the post war world. President Truman had hoped if he could meet Stalin he could get the Soviet leader to keep his promises from the Yalta conference. -
CIA
Central Intelligence Agency formed to collect information about and spy on foreign governments. CIA agents alson took part in secret actions against hostile governments. -
Holly wood Ten
The HUAC committee collected names of possible Communist who influenced the American film industry. These 10 people refused to answer their questions and were found guilty of being in contempt of Congress and sentenced to a year in prison. If you didn't cooperate you were blacklisted. -
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USSR Leaders during the Cold War
Joseph Stalin 1947-1953, Nikita Gruchev 1953-1964, Leonid Breznev 1964-1982, Constantine Chernenko 1984-1985, Mikail Gorbachev 1985-1991 -
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United States Leaders during the Cold War
Harry S. Truman 1945-1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961, John F. Kennedy 1961-1963, Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969, Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974, Gerald R. Ford 1974-1977, Jimmy Carter 1977-1981, Ronald Reagan 1981-1989, George Bush 1989-1993. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman believed the United States should support free people who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures. He believed help should be primarily economic and financial aid which is essential for economic stability and orderly political progresses. -
Marshall Plan
The United States spent $13 Billion to buy food and farm equipment for Europe to help feed the hungry and proved jobs for its workers. Western European countries were able to buy products from American factories which helped with the post war economy. -
Berlin Blockade/Berlin Airlift
The Soviets announced they would block any road, rail or river traffic into West Berlin. They were hoping to win over that part of the divided city. The Allies decided to fly in supplies. They made over 14,000 flights to bring in supplies. The blockade was lifted on May 12, 1949. -
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States and six other countries joined Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. They agreed that an armed attack against one member nation would be considered an attack against all. -
Joseph McCarthy
U.S. Senator who accused 250 employees of the State Department of being Communists. He started accusing people without actual facts and if the people didn't answer his questions they were considered guilty. This made people afraid to talk out against him. Thousands of people were fired for political reasons. -
korean war
On June 25, 1950 100,000 North Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea. Kim Il Sung hoped to reunify all of Korea. South Korea was were the United States had to take a stand against Communist aggression. Failure to defend South Korea might signal to other countries that the U.S. would not help defend their freedom.Negotiators at Panmunjon worked toward toward agreement. The war ended on July 27, 1953 with the map of the Korean penisula looking much the same as before. -
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Nuclear Arms Race
The U.S. exploded the first H-bomb in 1952. Then the Soviets exploded their own H-bomb. The U.S. launches a nuclear submarine and test long range missiles. The Soviets test longer range missiles and send the first satalite in to orbit. Then the U.S. lands a man on the moon. These two countries were always trying to prove who was the best. -
Warsaw Pact
Soviet Union established a new organization, a military alliance with Soviet dominated countries of Eastern Europe. Warsaw Pact nations stood ready to defend each other and the Soviet Union. It also solidified control of Eastern Europe by the Soviets. -
Vietnam War
A military conflict that took place in Vietnam, Loas and Cambodia. The U.S. viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of their wider strategy of containment. U.S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973 as a result of the Case–Church Amendment passed by the U.S. Congress. The capture of Saigon by the Vietnam People's Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. -
Sputnik
1st artificial satellite launced by the Soviet Union. It was the size of a basketball and weighed 200 pounds. Sputnik II carried a dog into space. The first living thing to orbit the Earth. -
NASA
National Aeronautics Space Agency took charge of the nations programs for exploring outer space. -
Cuban Leader during the Cold War
Fidel Castro overthrew Cuban government in 1959 to present day. -
U2 Crisis
United States sent U2 aircraft into Soviet air space to inspect their military facilities. The Soviets shot down and captured Francis Gary Powers. He was released in 1962 in exchange for a Soviet spy. -
Bay of Pigs
President Kennedy ordered an airstrike on Cuba. Old unmarked U.S. bombers failed to destroy Cuba's air force. When the Cuban exciles came ashore at the Bay of Pigs, Castros troops were waiting on them. The anti Castro uprising never took place. Instead of eliminating the threat of communisim close to the US it strengthened Cubas ties to the Soviet Union. -
Space Race
The Soviets launched the first human into space. Almost a year later John Glenn orbited the Earth. By 1969 Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The Americans won the space race over the Soviets. -
Berlin Wall
Communist Forces closed the crossing points between East and West Berlin. The wall started out as a barbed wire barrier but was replaced by a high concrete wall that was heavily guarded. This was to keep the East Berliners from escaping to the West. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Russian upgraded Cubas defenses antiaircraft weapons called surface to air missles. The US decide on a blockade to prevent the Soviets from bringing missile to Cuba. President Kennedy receive a letter from Khrushchev offering to remove the missiles from Cuba if the US promised to never invade Cuba. -
Vietnam Escalation
The number of troops stationed in Vietnam steadily climbed in the years from 1965 to 1968. After the attack in the Tonkin Gulf President Johnson started bombing raids and increased the number of solder in Vietnam. -
Tet Offensive
84.000 Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops attacked 12 U.S. military bases and more than 100 cities across South Vietnam. N. Vietnamese leaders hoped the Tet Offensive would inspire S. Vietnamese ciitizens to rise up against their leaders. Then public support never happened. -
Vietnamese Leaders during the Cold War
Ho Chi Ming from 1946-1969 in North Vietnam and Nguyen Van Thein in South Vietnam -
Man on the Moon
Apollo 11 launced with Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins. On July 20,1969 the lunar module named Eagle landed on the moon. "That's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. -
Vietnamization
Vietnamization involved turning over more of the fighting to the S. Vietnamese while gradually bring U.S. ground troops home. President Nixon hoped to have the majority of U.S. troops out of S. Vietnam in case there was a collapse of their government. -
Kent State
When President Nixon ordered more troops to Vietnam college protest demonstrations intensified. At Kent State students set fire to the ROTC building, when told to break up the students threw rocks at the soldiers and the soldiers fired back killing 4 college students.