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Suez Canal
A canal in Egypt connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
The significance of this is that it allowed transportation on water between Europe and Asia. -
United Nations
The United Nations was founded in 1945 after World War II was to replace the League of Nations and to stop wars between countries.
The significane of this is that it was the striving towards the achievement of lasting world peace. -
Explosion of the First Hydrogen Bomb
On 6 August 1945, a fission bomb code-named "Little Boy" was detonated over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
The significance of this event is thatit showed the true potential of advancing technology during that time period. -
Iron Curtain
A barrier built by the Soviet Union after World War II to section off itself and its European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas.
The significance of the Iron Curtain is to show the power of Communism and what the effects of it can do to countries. -
Truman Doctrine
The U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent them from falling into Soviet hands.
The signiicance of this is that Greece and Turkey were strong points to aid, if the United States lost these locations, then they would significantly lose strength against the fight against Communism -
The Marshall Plan
To rebuild a destroyed region, remove trade barriers, and make Europe stable again.
The significance of this plan was that it reconstructed parts of Europe to a stable point to a point that they could rebuild on their own. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a plan to supply food and supplies to citizens of west Berlin. The cause of this is because of Russia blocking off land acces to Berlin.
This shows the significane of the rivalry against the West powers and the Soviet Union -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
This organization is a system of collective defence where its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any opposing party.
The significance of this organization is that the combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending. -
Peoples Republic of China
A government that rules the lands of China.
The significance of this is that China has a stable political party that holds leadership over their country. -
Korean War
A war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union.
The significance of this event is that America divided the peninsula, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half -
Ho Chi Minh
Revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of North Vietnam.
The significance of him is that he was an important person in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 -
Stalin
General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Stalin was known for his twisted ways of treating his own civilians.
The significance of Stalin is that although he was cruel in many methods of how he approached situations, he revoultionized Russia. -
Khrushchev
Led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964.
The significance of Khrushchev is that he was responsible for the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union. -
KGB
The security agency for the Soviet Union from 1954 until its collapse in 1991.
The significance of the KGB is that it was the chief goverment agency that basically ran the government andacted as a secret police. -
Warsaw Pact
A defense treaty between eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe that was made by the Soviet Union.
The significance of this is that this proved that the Soviet Union weren't as war hungry as they were made out to be. -
Vietnam War
War between North and South Vietnam. The US and other anti-communist countries supported the side of South Vietnam.
The significance of this war was that the US could not let South Vietnam fall to Communism because it would put the US's Containment Plan in jeopardy. -
Sputnik
The first satellite to launch into space made by the Soviet-Union.
The significance of this event is that it proved that the Doviet-Union was advancing in technology and were starting to become a threat in the world. -
Berlin Wall is Erected
The Berlin Wall was constructed by the German democratic republic for the purpose of blocking of West Berlin from the more civilized East Berlin.
The significance of the Berlin Wall was to show the difference between the Communist Party and the Capitalist Party. -
Organisation for Economic Cooperation
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation was an organisation of 34 countries to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
The significance of this is that it provided a base to compare policy experiences and to find answers to common problems. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
The Cuban Missle Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one side, and the United States on the other side. The United States was under threat from Cuba while Cuba was reciving nuclear war heads from the Soviet Union.
The significance of this event was that this was the time when the Cold War almost turned into nuclear warfare. -
Leonid Brezhnev
President over the communist country of Russia from 1964 until his death in 1982. THe influence of the Soviet Union grew dramitically and glovally under his reign.
The significance of Brezhnev is that he started the downfall of the Soviet Union by beginning an ecconomic collapse during his reign. -
Tet Offensive
A military campaign during the Vietnam War included the forces of Viet Cong and North Vietnam against South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies.
The significance of this war was that there was an agreement of a "cease fire" but surprise attacks were launched anyways. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
A war fought between Soviet-controlled Afghanistan and national groups known as the Mujahideen.
The significance of this war is that it forced millions of Afghans to flee their country. -
Helsinki Accords
33 states signed this declaration attempting to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West.
The significance of this event was that it was the final act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation. -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
A diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days.
The significance of this event is that is showed the United States would not fall to blackmail. -
Moscow Olympics
The location of the 1980 SUmmer Olypics.
The significance of this event is that it was the first to be staged in Eastern Europe. -
Solidarity Movement in Poland
Polish trade union federation under the control of Lech Wałęsa
The significance of this event is that it was the first. non–communist party-controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. -
Los Angeles Olympics
The location of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
The significance of this event is that no other city wanted to host this event so Los Angeles was automatically awarded the opportunity of hosting this event. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
The code words for the reconstruction of Soviet body politic and society.
The significance of this is that these names were in the Soviet Constition but were never applied or used in any time period before. -
Chernobyl Disaster
An explosion that released large amounts of radioactive particles into the air, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe.
The significane of this event is that it has been known as the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. -
Geneva Accords
The agreements of the situation related to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, were signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the United States and the Soviet Union.
Thesignificance of this event is that it ended a nine year Societ occupation in Afghanistan to an end. -
Tiananmen Square
A large city square in the center of Beijing, China.
The significance of this place is that it is known as the center location of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 -
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
People came to the wall with sledgehammers,hammers,and chisels to take down the wall alongside cranes that helped in this process. These people were given the name "Mauerspechte"
The significance of this event was the joining of East and West Berlin and that they were onve again unified. -
Gorbachev
a former Soviet statesman that served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He also was the first and last president of the Soviet Union from 1988 until its end in 1991.
The significance of Gorbachev is that he was the only general secretary in the history of the Soviet Union to have been born during Communist rule. -
Lech Walesa
Lech Walesa was a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 1995.
The significance of Lech Walesa is that he founded the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union -
Boris Yeltsin
Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation.
The significance of Yeltsin is that he was not an approved leader for the Soviet Union and less than 2% of the Soviet-Unions population did not support him. -
End of the USSR
Ended by the declaration of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. This declaration set the independence of the twelve republics of the Soviet Union.
The significance of this event was that this event marked the ending of the Cold War. -
Putin
President and Prime Minister of Russia.
The significance of Putin was that he sparked an economic grow th during his first term as president.
