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Russian Communist Revolution
Troops loyal to the Bolsheviks easily took control of the telegraph, power station, bridges, post officies, train stations, and the state bank. The prime minister, Aleander Kerensky fled letting the troops take over the Winter Palace and Petrograd. Immediately, Lenin takes over promising a better life. With Russia now a communist country, the rise of many more powerful dictators has yet to come. -
Treaty of Varsailles
The signing of this treaty ends WWl. This treaty forces Germany to except full blame of the war, pay all reparations of the war, forced to reduce thier army and they lose their territories. Since Germany had to pay all the costs of the war, they go in to a depression. Germany will want to avenge this treaty because they feel week. This causes Hitler to rise to power. After WWII two superpowers emerged b/w the soviet union and the US. This led to a competition between them. -
League of Nations
The league gradually died due to many failures. It lead to WWII and it closed down throughout the was. After the war the US and the Soviet Union emerged as super pwoers and it led to the rise of Stalin and Communism. -
Yalta Conference
Meeting of head govts of the United States, UK, amd the Soviet Union represented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime minister Winston Churchill and premier minister Joseph Stalin to discuss Europe's post-war reorganization within a few years, with the Cold War dividing the continent, Yalta became a subject of controversy. -
United Nations
The United Nations was a second attempt of creating a peace keeping body. It was created to prevent WWlll and to preserve peace. In order to make the United Nations more effective, more power was given to the five major states. They were given the power to veto and permanant representation in the upper chamber. -
Nuremberg Trials
Series of military tribnals held by the allied forces after WWll, moat known for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of Nazi Germany. -
Iron Curtain Speech
A speech by Winston Churchill which condemns the Soviet Union's policies in Europe. He praised the U.S. and said they stood at the pinnacle of power. -
Baruch Plan
U.S. presents this plan for the international control of atomic weapons to the United Nations. The plans failure to gain acceptance results into a dangerous nuclear arms race between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War. -
Truman Doctrine
United Sates policy to stop Soviet expansion during the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
Congress passed the Cooperation act and approved funding that would eventually rise to over $12 billion for the rebuilding of Western Europe. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin blockade took place from 24 June 1948- 12 May 1949. It was one of the majer international crises of the Cold War, The Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies railway, road, and canal access tot he sectors of Berlin under allied control. The soviets would drop the blockade if W. allies withdraw the newly introduced Deutschmark from West Berlin. Western Allies organized the Berlin Airlift to carry supplies to the people in West Berlin, they succeeded and the Blockade was lifted. -
NATO Created
This is a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to attack by an external party. Some members are, North America, Europe, Albania, Croatia, and Belgium. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
The "fall" of mainland communism; ended the civil war between the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) & the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), which broke out directly after WWll. Leader Mao Zedong entered a strategic alliance with the Soviet Union, making the U.S. threatened. -
Joseph McCarthy Speech
Jospeph McCarthy gave a speech to the public, claiming he had a list with the names of over 200 members of the Department of State that are "known communists". After awhile, this was found all untrue. Thia speech vaulted him to national proinence and sparked nationwide hyteria about subversives in the American government. -
Nuclear Detterant
The threat of using nuclear weapons to stop an enemy from attacking. During the Cold War, this stratedgy was used by the Soviets and U.S.. This is why both sides did not use military action during the Cold War. -
Korean War
75,000 soldiers from the North Korean Army came to the 38th Parellel. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. American troops enter the war to help South Korea. Five million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during this war. The peninsula remains divided. This war was viewed as the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world. -
Warsaw Pact
This pact was a political and military alliance between the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. This alliance was formed as a counterbalance to the NATO alliance. The Soviet Union was mainly in charge and made the decisions. The Warsaw Pact was seen a a potential militaristic threat and a sign of communist domanince. The U.S. along with a few other NATO countries began to advocate making West Germany part of their alliance. They also would let West Germany form their own army under -
Sputnik
This is the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviets, putting them in the lead for a while in the space race. -
Fidel Castro Proclaims Communist Cuba
Fidel Castro established the first communist state. He was widely criticized for stifling economic and political freedoms. Castro caused Cuba to have a bad relationship with the U.S, This bad relationship results in the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. also enforces a trade embargo on Cuba. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA. It was a counter revolutionary military trained and funded by the Us govt. Intended to overthrow communist govt of Fidel Castro. -
Berlin Wall
Divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It completely cut off west Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from eat Berlin. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1992. The wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-WWll period. Around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall. 136 to 200 were killed in and around Berlin. -
Building of the Berlin Wall Begins
East Germany builds the Berlin Wall to permanately close off access to West Germany. The wall stands as the most tangible symbol of the Cold War. -
MAD
(Mutual Assured Destruction) doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in whicha full-scale use of high-yield weapons of mass destruction would cause annihilation of both the attacker and defender. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
This was a 13 day confrontation between the U.S. & the Soviet Union over missiles deployed in Cuba. This is the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. -
U.S. Sends Troops to Vietnam
In response to the Gulf of Tonkin, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent U.S. ground troops to South Vietnam. If U.S. continued to use its military, communist China and the Soviet Union threatened to intervene. America's trops were sent over to help South Vietnam fight against communsim. The U.S. thought that if the south would turn to communism so would other countries in that region. -
Salt I
(Strategic Arms Limitations Talks) In 1967 leaders met and decided to limit the development of offensive and defensive strategic systems to stabalize United States and Soviet relations. Led to signing of the ABM treaty and interim Salt agreement. -
Apollo 11
This was a spaceflight that landed the first humans on the moon, which were Americans. This ended the Space Race with the Soviet Union. -
Non-Proliferation Agreement
Agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. A total of 190 states have joined the agreement. It was an important step in the ongoing efforts to reduce or prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. U.S. and the Soviet Union both signed the agreement. -
Kent State Shootings
Ohio National Guard members fired inot a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators. Four students were killed and nine were wounded. This shooting caused a nation wide student strike which forced hundreds of universities to close. Eventually this shooting destroys the Nixon administration. This event has come to symbolize the political and social divisions that deeply divided the country during the Vietnam War era. -
Fall of Saigon
The North Vietnamese army took over Saigon. U.S. citizens and war veterans were having demonstrations against this war because the U.S. soliders were having horrific experiences. The U.S. withdraws from the war with a peace agreement with North Vietnam in Paris. The North Vietnam Army were closing in on Saigon, forcing President Ford to order an immediate evacuation of all U.S citizens. Air force hellicopters were sent to rescue them. The North Vietnam army takes over. -
Pope John Paul ll
He had a huge role in the fall of communism when the new nations were created. He was the pope from Oct. 16, 1978- Apr. 2, 2005. -
Margaret Thatcher
She was the prime minister of the United Kingdom and was a leader of the Conservitive Party. She lead the west to victory for the Cold War, and also helped democracies defeat off communism. She was known as "iron lady", she was in office from 1979-1990. -
Salt II
Focused on limiting and reducing the number of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles and preventing both sides from making breakthroughs that would destabalize United States and Soviet relationship. -
Soviets Invade Afghanistan
Russian paratroopers invaded their capital, Kabal, trying to sweep away their Muslim tradition within the nation trying to madke it a communist country. However, it didn't work out for the Soviets and back fired, causing great tension between them. This was very embarassing for the Soviets. -
Deng Xiaoping
He was a leader of the communist party whose goal was to get China to be a third super power party by 2000. He also wanted to modernize the agriculture, military, industry, science, and technology. He was in office since 1981-1987. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The Cold War began to thaw across Eastern Europe. The spokesman for East Berlin's communist party announced change in his city's relations with the West. -
Lech Walsea
Was a Polish politician who founded the solidarity trade union group that helped in the fall of communism in Poland. -
Start I
(Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) a treaty between the US and the Soviets that provided deep reductions of strategic nuclear weapons. -
Start II
Included a provision that requires the president to seek senate approval of any strategic arms cuts that would reduce strategic arsenal to below start I ceiling before start II entered into force.
