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People's Republic of China
This is a sovereign state in East Asia as well as the world's most populated country. The president of the republic was Sun Yat-sen of the Kuomintang. Kuomintang reunified the country under its own control by using military and political practices. This was known as the Northern Expedition. -
Stalin
Stalin took part in the Russian Revolution of 1917 and was one of the Bolshevik revolutionaries.Five years later, Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the party's Central Committee. The concept of “socialism in one country" became a main focus of Soviet society. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain symbolized the physical boundary and ideological conflict that divided Europe into two separate spaces. The Iron Curtain also symbolized the Soviet Union's efforts to block itself as well as its dependent and central European allies off from open contact with the west and non-communist areas. -
Vietnam
This country is the eastermost country of the Indochina Peninsula, and after the Vietnam War, it was brought together under a Communist government. Vietnam's economic growth is one of the highest in the world. -
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh was the Prime minister and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as wl as a Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader.
Ho Chi Minh founded Vietnamese communism. He also led North Vietnam for part of the Vietnam war. -
United Nations
This organization was founded to stop wars between countries.There are 193 member states in the UN. The United Nations is the world's biggest and most dominant international organization. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine, by President Truman, is an international relations policy. This doctrine stated that the US would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid. The Truman Doctrine led to Turkey and Greece joining NATO. -
European Economic Cooperation
Also called OEED, this organization was established to help administer the Marshall Plan and utilize economic programs. It focused on economic issues. Economic conditions were improved, strengthening European countries in many ways. -
The Marshall Plan
This was an American program to help Europe. A fter WWII The US gave economic support to aid and rebuild the European economies. The Marshall Plan helped to prevent the spread of communism. -
Berlin Airlift
The Western Allies used cargo planes to airlift food and fuel to West Berliners who were being blockaded by Stalin. This blockade quickened the creation of West Germany as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
This was a military alliance between many governments based on the North Atlantic Treaty. It's headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium. NATO was the first peacetime military alliance the US entered into outside of the Western Hemisphere. -
Korean War
This was a war between North and South Korea, and it occurred because of the political divisions between these two areas. This war gave the US a reason to increase the money spent on the military. -
Explosion of the First Hydrogen Bomb
The explosion of the first hydrogen bomb was a test by the United States, and it took place at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands. The US was the first to test it, slightly before Russia. Many other countries followed suit within the next couple decades. -
Khrushchev
Khrushchev led the SU and also was first secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev was accountable for some of the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union. He also caused tensions between the USSR and the US as he was part of the Cuban Missile Crisis. -
KGB (Committee for State Security)
The KGB was the central security agency for the SU. It was a military service that was governed by army laws and regulations. KGB gave their responsibilities and power to the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, and this organization is still active today. -
Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords were made to secure peace in Vietnam. They also hoped to help Vietname reach independence, but failed. For the most part, these were ineffective were powerless however it did manage to get French Union troops to evacuate from Vietnam. -
Warsaw Pact
This pact is a mutual defense treaty between 8 communist states of Eastern and Central Europe. The Warsaw Pact was a military response to the unification of West Germany into NATO. -
Suez Canal / Nasser
The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt that connects the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The Suez Canal allows transportation by water between Europe and Asia after 10 years. Dangerous navigation around Africa was no longer necessary. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. The SU launched Sputnik into an elliptical orbit on October 4th. It provided scientists with valuable information about the density of the upper atmosphere. -
Brezhnev
This man became the new Soviet leader after Khrushchev and held power for 22 years. Under him, critics faced arrest and imprisonment He promoted dtente with the U.S. and developed the Brezhnev Doctrine. -
Berlin Wall is Erected
This wall was built between East and West Germany by the German Democratic Republic. It was built to prevent Germans from the East from fleeing to the West. The Berlin Wall symbolized the division of the world's opposing views and eventually led to the end of the Cold War as it was torn down. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
After the Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba, President Kennedy imposed a naval blockade that prevented further Soviet shipments. After a few days, the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles. War was averted and potentially millions of American lives were saved. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a military campaign during the Vietnam War. Surprise attacks were launched against military and civilian control centers in South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive was the result after an agreement to cease fire. -
Helsinki Accords
The Helsinki Accords were created in an effort to reduce tension between the Soviet and Western blocs.They were a declaration of human rights. These accords were signed in Helsinki, Finland by all the countries in Europe, the US, and Canada. These accords were a turning point inside European borders as boundaries were being recognized. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
This crisis between Iran and the United States involved fifty two americans which were held hostage for 444 days. A group of Islamic people who supported the Iranian Revolution gained control of the american embassy in Tehra. This was a pretty big jolt to the United States as well as impact. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
The leader of the Soviets, Leonid Brezhnev, marched into Kabul, Afghanistan capitol. The Soviet Union shot Amin three days after and he was replaced by Babrak Kabul. Although the Afghanistan weapons were out of date and unreliable, they had knowledge of the territory. Lasting over 9 years, this war did not have a satisfactory conclusion. -
Moscow Olypmics
This was an international many sport event in Moscow in the SU. 65 countries led by the US boycotted these games because of the SU being in Afghanistan. Only 80 nations participated, making it the smallest amount since the 1950s. -
Los Angeles Olympics
The Soviets boycotted the 1984 Olypics because the US boycotted the 1980 Olympics. Cooporate sponsors were made for the games for the first time in 1984 and participated for the first time since the 1930s. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
Perestroika and Glasnost were Gorbachev’s “watchwords” for the renovation of the Soviet body. These words were also occasionally used by Stalin and his successors. Perestroika and Glasnost were the “restructuring” and “openness” of the SU. They were used in political movements for reformation within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. -
Chernobyl
Huge amounts of radioactive particles were released after an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The affects and horrors of radioactive particles were witnessed taken note of. -
Tiananmen Square
This is a large city square in Beijing, China as well as the sight of a pro-democracy movement. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world. -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
The Berlin Wall was up for about 30 years. In 1989, Soviet Communism declined making it hard for East German communist leaders to maintain control. They reopened their western borders and reunited in 1990. This was a major turning point in the struggle between the Western European nations and the Eastern bloc countries. It marked the end of the Cold War. -
Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement in Poland
Lech Walesa was a human rights activist, Polish politician, and trade-union organizer. He served as the President of Poland and even won a Nobel Peace Prize. The solidarity talks led to the fall of communism and free elections in Soviet bloc countries. -
Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev was President of the USSR during this time. He was also the last General Secretary of the SU. He was a strong influence of worldwide freedom and helped end the Cold War. After he resigned, the remaining Soviet Rebuplics seperated -
Yeltsin
Yeltsin was a Russian politician as well as a follower of Gorbachev and the chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet. He was the first President of the Russian Federation! -
End of the USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned after his reforms brought economic turmoil. Shortages grew worse and prices soared. Factories closed and unemployment rates soared. After Gorbachev resigned, the remaining Soviet Republics seperated. This marked the end of the Cold War. -
Putin
Putin is the President of Russia today. Previously, he was Chairman of United Russia and Prime Minister of Russia. He has high approval ratings but his actions have been deemed as undemocratic. As the current president of Russia, Putin influences and affects his country and the world today.
