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Stalin
Who-Stalin was made General Secretary of the soviet party's Central Committee after taking part in the Russian Revolution of 1917 as a Bolshevik revolutionist.
Historical Significance- "Socialism in one country", under Stalin's rule, became the central idea in Soviet society. -
United Nations
What- A group founded to join nations together and stop wars between countries. The Unither Nations contains a total of 193 members.
Historical Significance- It is the most prominent, most influencial, and largest internations organization. -
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Iron Curtain
What- Not a literal curtain, symbolized the disagreements with countries and their physical boundries and seperated Europe into two countries.
Historical Significance- Showed the Soviet Unions effort to seperate themselves from other countries, also to serperate their allies from them too. -
Truman Doctrine
What- A US document stating that Turkey and Greece would be supported economically and with military aid by the US. It is an internation relations policy.
Historical Significance- This document led to Turkey and Greece joining NATO. -
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The Marshall Plan
What- US program to aid and lend money to Europe to help rebuild their economies after WWII.
Historical Significance- It helped prevent the spread of communism. -
European Economic Cooperation
What- Kept its focus on economic issues (of course) and to administer the Marshall Plan and to stable and utilize other economic programs. Also named OEED.
Historical Significance- As a result, European countries were strengthened along with their economies. -
Berlin Airlift
What- A aircrats in which the Western Allies carried supplies into occupied post-WWII Germany after the Soviet Union blocked off all land transportation into Berlin.
Historical Significance- The Soviets eventually removed the blockade. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
What- A military alliance based off of the North Atlantic Treaty whose is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium(one of the 28 countries that werre members).
Historical Significance-first (peaceful) military alliance that the US joined away from the Western Hemisphere. -
Peoples Republic of China
What- An east Asian country with the largest population in the world, on the ratio of people to area.
Historical Significance- Country was re unified with its own controlby using their military and political tactics. -
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Korean War
What- As a result of a difference in political opinions, North and South Korea went to war with each other ending unofficially with a cease fire seperating at the 38th parallel.
Historical Significance- The results of the Korean War influenced the US to increase their military. -
Explosion of the First Hydrogen Bomb
What- A test of a hydrogen bomb by the US that took place at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.
Historical Significance- US was first to use/test the hydrogen bomb showing superiority in their weapons. -
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KGB (Commitee for the State Security)
What- Soviet security agency that was considred a military service and was ran upon government laws and regulations, worked as sort of a Soviet FBI. Fell in 1991 and was taken over by The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.
Historical Significance- Accessed information for the Soviet Union -
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Geneva Accords
What- Hoped to help Vietnam gain independence and to insure peace there but did not work very well.
Historical Significance- Ineffective although accomplished evacuating the French troops from Vietnam. -
Warsaw Pact
What- A defense agreement between 8 communist countries in Eastern and Central Europe. As a result of West Germany joing NATO.
Historical Significance- First group opposing NATO and caused a lot of people to think. -
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Vietnam
What- A country situated on the easternmost area of the Indochina Peninsula. North and South Vietnam faught each other during the Veitnam War and were later combined by communism.
Historical Significance- The vietnam War the turning point in modern warfare tactics. -
Suez Canal/ Nasser
What- "Fake" waterway through Egypt creating easy access between Asian and European countries. Connects Red and Mediterranean Seas.
Historical Significance- Allowed vital, and quick, access to transport goods by water between Asian and European countries so that sailing all the way around Africa. -
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Ho Chi Minh
Who- Communist leader in Vietnam who also founded the Vietcong.
Historical Significance- Founded communism in Vietnam and helpedd North Vietnam rebuild after the war. -
Sputnik
What- Soviet satellite launched into a low orbit of the Earth. Gave scientists new insight on the density of the earths atmosphere.
Historical Significance- First artificial satellite and in a way sparked the space race. -
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Khrushchev
Who- First Secretary of the communist Party of the Soviet Union, patially de-Stalinized the SU, placed missiles inside Cuba instigating the Cuban Missile Crisis
Historical Significance- Undid some of the damage that stalin had done, increased citizens trust in government, -
Berlin Wall is Erected
What- The Berlin Wall was erected serparating East and West Germany during The Cold War in order to keep people from fleeing from East Germany to West. The wall was constantly gaurded by the military who would kill anyone who tried to cross.
Historical Significance- -
Cuban Missile Crisis
What-Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles inside of Cuba and President Kennedy applied a naval bloa=ckade on all incoming ships to be searched, to prevent anymore shipments. Soviets finally surrendered and removed the missiles.
Historical Significance- War was averted, showed what the US government could do, and hunderds of thousands of US civilian lives were saved. -
Brezhnev
Who-
Historical Significance- -
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Brezhnev
Who- After Khruschev, became new Soviet leader and obtained that power for 22 years. He arrested people who opposed him.
Historical Significance- Created the Brezhnev Doctrine and promoted d'tente with the United States. -
Tet Offinsive
What- During Vietnam War a millitary campaign to launch attacks against military and civilian control in South Vietnam. They were surprise attacks.
Historical Significance- This was created after the agreement of cease fire. -
Helsinki Accords
What- Held and signed in Helsinki, Finland by US, Canada, and European countries. It was a declaration of human rights to reduce tension between Soviet and Western Blocs.
Historical Significance- European borders were now being recognized. -
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Iranian Hostage Crisis
What- Crisis between the US and Iran in which 52 americans were captured and help hostage for over a year after militants and Islamic students invaded the American Embassy
Historical Significance- Showed weakness in the US after failed attempts at releasing the captured people and was a blow to the image and strength of the US. -
Russian Invasion of Afghanistan
What- Brezhnev marched his troops into Kabul, Afghanistan.Afghan knew the territory but had outdated and were outnumbered in weapons. Amin was shot by the Russians and Kabul took his place.
Historical Significance- Lasted for nine years and the conclusion was not liked. -
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Moscow Olympics
What- First Olympic Games to be held in East Germany but 65 countries, led by the US, boycotted the event because of the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
Historical Significance- Smallest number of Olympic participants ever at only 85 countries. -
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Los Angeles Olympics
What- In retaliation to the American boycott of the 1980 SU Olympics along with Soviet Bloc countries and Cuba. Although China participated for the first time in 52 years.
Historical Significance- For the first time corporate sponsors existed in the Olympic Games -
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Gorbachev
Who- President of the USSR, in office during this time period, and the final General Secretary to the Soviet Union. After his retirement the Soviet Republics seperated.
Historical Significance- Influenced the end of the Cold War and freedom worldwide. -
Perestroika and Glasnost
What- "Watchwords" used by Gorbachev, and occasionally used by Stalin and his successors, for the reinovation of the soviet body. Glasnost meant the reform policy meaning "openness" and Perestroika "reconstructing" of the political and economic soviet system.
Historical Significance- Perestroika and Glasnost were used when speaking about the reformation of the Soviet Union. -
Chernobyl
What- In the Ukraine, when a nuclear power plant exploded and released huge amounts of toxic radioactive particles.
Historical Significance- That area of the Ukraine remains uninhabited and was another example after the bombings in Japan of the horrors of nuclear products. -
Tiananmen Square
What- A square in Beijing, China where government troops fired on pro-democracy demostartions led by civilian students. Many were killed.
Historical Significance- Tiananmen Square was the sight of many historical events in Chinese history. -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
What- The Berlin Wall 'fell' after about 30 years when Soviet Communism, controlling East Germany, started declining making it difficult for communism in East Germany to keep control. They literally tore down the Berlin Wall and Germany as a whole reunited in 1990.
Historical Significance- This marked the end of the Cold War and lessened the tension between East and West European nations. -
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Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Movement in Poland
Who- Co-founder of Solidarity, the first Soviet Bloc independant trade union.
Historical Significance- Solidarity forced talks that let to free elections and the downfall of communism in Soviet Bloc countries -
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Yeltsin
Who- Russian politician , one of Gorbachev's followers, and a chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet. Incredibally important political figure.
Historical Significance- First President of the Russian Federation. -
End of USSR
What- Gorbachev resigned causing remaining Soviet Republics to seperate after his reforms brought economic turmoil and shortages to increase and prices to rise and for factories to close causing a rise in unemployment.
Historical Significance- Marked end of the Cold War. -
Putin
Who- President of Russia from 2000-now. Previously Chairman and Prime Minister of Russia. Highly liked for his actions although his opposition calls him undemocratic.
Historical Significance- Russian politician and the current President of Russia.
