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Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was an important event that consisted of the peasants and working class of Russia revolting against their leader Tsar Nicholas II. Russia soon fell under the control of Vladimir Lenin and his comrades called the Bolsheviks, who imposed communism on Russia and created the Soviet Union. The Russian Revolution triggered the beginning of a new era in Russia that will later effect countries around the world. -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the leader of the soviet Union, Joseph Stalin; the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill; and the U.S. president, Harry Truman. The general purpose of the conference was to discuss bring peace and prosperity to the world as a whole. The Big Three also negotiated who would control postwar Germany and how to secure a lasting peace for Europe. The Potsdam Conference declined to solve conflicts between the Big Three, paving a path for the Cold War. -
Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Approaching the end of World War II, America developed a new secret weapon called the atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, America dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, attempting to make Japan surrender. When Japan failed to surrender, America then dropped a second atomic bomb Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. It was the second bomb that convinced Japan to surrender. The two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki played a very important role in ending World War II. -
Iron Curtain
In the year 1946, Churchill presented a speech in which he announced a newly constructed boundary built by Russia, called the Iron Curtain. The Iron Curtain was not a physical wall, rather a symbol that divided eastern Europe and western Europe, blocking out the Soviet Union and any of its satellite states from contact with western Europe and its allied states. The Iron Curtain minimized the spread of communism and Soviet influence. -
Molotov Plan
In response to America's proposition of the Marshall Plan, the Soviet Union created the Molotov Plan. The Molotov Plan was a program established by the Soviet Union to provide aid to eastern European countries and its satellites. These countries were politically and economically favored by the Soviet Union. As a result of rejecting the Marshall Plan and creating their own Molotov Plan, the Soviet Union remained an enemy of the United States. -
Truman Doctrine
In the year 1947, President Truman declared that the United States would provide aid to all democratic nations under the threat of outside forces, thus establishing the Truman Doctrine. Truman promised to provide military, economic, and political aid to any democratic countries fighting communism. The Truman Doctrine became the groundwork of America's foreign policy and lead to the development of NATO in 1949. -
Hollywood 10
The Hollywood Ten were ten movie producers, directors, writers, etc. who were questioned by the HUAC, but refused to answer. The HUAC, or the House of Un-American Activities Committee confronted many actors, movie producers and writers, etc. in attempts to find foreign communists. Ten of these people, or the Hollywood Ten, refused to answer questions and were immediately accused of being Russian spies. The Hollywood Ten were arrested and blacklisted; no companies would hire them ever again. -
Alger Hiss Case
The Alger Hiss case concerned an American government official who was accused of being a Soviet spy. Hiss was accused of selling or giving top secret information including how to build an atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Hiss was convicted of perjury and was later found to be guilty. This event caused America to constantly fear that there were communist spies throughout the American government and these communists would destroy America. -
Berlin Blockade
In 1948, Joseph Stalin believed America's aid to fight communism to be American economic imperialism. As a result, Stalin ordered that all land access into the city of west Berlin be blocked off. Stalin's goal was to cut off any economical aid from the United States. In response to Stalin's blockade of Berlin, America established the Berlin Airlift, which will later cause Stalin to remove the blockade. -
Marshall Plan
On April 3, 1948, Secretary of State, George Marshall proposed the Marshall Plan, which was a program of mass economic assistance. The purpose of the Marshall Plan was to revive the working economy by preventing or ending hunger, poverty, and chaos. America assisted Western Europe with approximately $12 billion in attempts to rebuild the economy of Western Europe. The Marshall Plan overall lessened the power and influence of communists. -
Berlin Airlift
In 1948, the Marshall Plan was passed, in which America would aid any nations trying to fend off communism. Berlin, however, was blockaded. Stalin did not want Berlin receiving any aid from the United States. Following the Berlin Blockade, the United States formed the Berlin Airlift, in which Americans flew large planes carrying food, coal, medical supplies, etc. The Berlin Airlift caused Stalin to remove the Berlin's blockades, however, it did not create a unified West Germany. -
NATO
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an international alliance that was formed to defend against Soviet aggression. NATO was an alliance formed between North American territories as well as European territories. Their main goal was to prevent the communist Soviets from taking over their nations. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was and is a very important military alliance that works to keep the peace between nations throughout the world. -
Soviet Bomb Test
On August 6, 1945, America dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The Soviet Union was not expected to develop an atomic bomb anywhere near when they did. However, Russian spies gained access to the Manhattan Project, and the Soviet Union was able to create an atomic bomb just a few years after the first two atomic bombs were dropped. On August 29, 1949, the Soviets successfully tested their first atomic bomb at Semipalatinsk. The Soviet Union then had an atomic bomb at their disposal. -
Rosenberg Trial
While America was in mass hysteria believing communists would take over, Julius Rosenberg and his wife were arrested in July of 1950. Julius and his wife were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. Although there was no real evidence of their crimes, Julius Rosenberg and his wife were executed in the electric chair. Both of them being put to death concluded one of the most controversial espionage cases of the Cold War. -
Korean War
World War II transformed Korea into North Korea and South Korea, which were separated at the 38th Parallel. North Korea fell under the influence of communism from China, and received nuclear weapons and war supplies. South Korea, however, was still a free, democratic nation, and America wanted to protect South Korea from communism. North Korea sent in soldiers to invade South Korea to spread communism. However, President Truman sent in American troops to defend South Korea from North Korea. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
Joseph McCarthy was an American senator from 1947 until his death in 1957. While there were anti-communist groups such as the House of Un-American Activities Committee, McCarthy began using his own tactics to find communist spies. McCarthy began making outrageous accusations against people in the American government, spreading fear throughout America. In April of 1954, McCarthy hosted televised hearings of his charges against the army. These hearings included a journalist exposing McCarthy -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was a battle fought between the French and the Viet Minh. The Viet Minh were Vietnamese nationalists formed by Ho Chi Minh in 1941. This battle was to be the deciding factor in who maintained control of a small mountain outpost on the Vietnamese border. This battle was important as it consisted of the French wanting to reclaim Vietnam as one of their colonies, but the Vietnamese wanted independence. -
Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference was a meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland in 1954. Representatives from China, France, Cambodia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, the Viet Minh, etc. gathered in Geneva to discuss and settle issues that came as a result of the Korean War and the First Indochina War. At this conference, it was decided that Vietnam would be temporarily divided at the 17th Parallel. This division would later cause problems. -
Warsaw Pact
In response to NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Soviet Union formed a military and political alliance with several eastern European countries called the Warsaw Pact. The signing of the Warsaw Pact was recognized as a symbol of Soviet dominance and was seen as a potential threat. The Warsaw Pact was a significant organization that challenged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and created a large military threat. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution, or the Hungarian Uprising of 1956, took place from October 23, 1956 to November 10, 1956. The Hungarian Revolution was a revolt against communism in the Hungarian People's Republic. People disagreed with policies imposed by the Soviet Union and rebelled. The Hungarian Uprising greatly crippled Soviet policies in postwar Hungary and demonstrated people's dislike for communism. -
U-2 Incident
The U-2 Incident occurred on May 1, 1960. An American U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Union. The U-2 plane was supposed to be flown over the Soviet Union and photograph pictures of denied territory. This top secret mission was cut short after being struck down by a surface to air missile the morning of May 1, 1960. A very important meeting between President Eisenhower and the Soviet leader named Nikita Khrushchev that was suppose to take place later that month was cancelled. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
In the year 1959, a Cuban leader named Fidel Castro took over Cuba. This followed Castro overthrowing the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. America, however, disagreed with Cuba being ruled by communism. The United States payed for and trained approximately 1500 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba from sea in the Bay of Pigs. The exiles were expected to overthrow Castro and his revolution, but failed. The goal of the Bay of Pigs invasion was supposed to prevent communism from entering America. -
Berlin Wall
During the early years of the Cold War, thousands of East Germans used West Berlin to escape communism and acquire a free, democratic lifestyle. After receiving this information, East Germany ordered that a wall surrounding West Berlin be built. The wall was known to symbolize the lack of freedom under communist rule. The Berlin Wall also symbolized the Cold War, as well as the division among the communist Soviet Union and the democratic countries in the west. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1962, soon after Fidel Castro's invasion of Cuba, the Soviet Union began to create missile sites in Cuba. Not more than 90 miles from America, the Soviet Union was preparing for the launch of nuclear weapons. This brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of a nuclear war. President Kennedy, however, met with the leader of the Soviet Union in secret and worked out a deal, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis on October 28, 2018. This was a very important conflict of the Cold War. -
Assassination of Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem was a political leader. He served as president, but was known as a dictator. Diem obtained the support of America, until he had hundreds of Buddhists imprisoned and killed. That then caused him to lose the support of the United States. -
Assassination of JFK
On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. President Kennedy was shot at 12:30 P.M. Central Standard time and pronounced dead at 1:00 P.M. Approximately 90 minutes after John F. Kennedy's death, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in to office. Lyndon B. Johnson would later expand the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats while in international waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. This event was known as the Tonkin Gulf Incident, which led to Congress passing the Tonkin Gulf Resolution on August 7, 1964. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution permitted President Johnson to take any measures he believed to be necessary to retaliate and to maintain peace. Keeping the peace and security in southeast Asia was very important. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the gradual aerial bombardment of the US 2nd Air Division, US Navy, and South Vietnam on North Vietnam, which lasted from 1965 to 1968. Operation Rolling Thunder was an example of America's air supremacy during the Vietnam War. It began with a goal of demotivating the people of North Vietnam and to shake the foundation of the North Vietnamese government. -
Tet Offensive
In January 1968, the North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong launched an attack simultaneously against multiple targets in South Vietnam. The overall goal of the Tet Offensive was to damage American and South Vietnamese forces and to create a revolt against the South Vietnamese government. This was a key event in weakening the United States' public support for the war in Vietnam. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist Minister and a social activist. He played a very important role in the American civil rights movement beginning in the 1950's until his death in 1968. He also was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Assassination of RFK
Robert Francis Kennedy was an American politician as well as a lawyer. He served as the 64th United States Attorney General from the January of 1961 to September 1964. Robert Kennedy was also a US Senator from January 1965 until his death in June 1968. On June 6, 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated while in Los Angeles, California. Following Robert Kennedy's assassination, the idea of America's immunity to political assassinations took a major blow. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On August 20, 1968, troops from the Warsaw Pact were led by the Soviet Union in an invasion of Czechoslovakia. The goal was to crack down on reformist trend in Prague. The Soviet Union's actions did slow the pace of reform in Czechoslovakia, but also came with unintended consequences. -
Riots of Democratic Convention
From August 26, 1968 to August 29, 1968, the 1968 Democratic National Convention was held in the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois. The convention was held during years of violence, political turbulence, civil unrest, etc. Tens of thousands rallied in the streets protesting against the Vietnam War and the political status quo. -
Election of Nixon
On November 5, 1968, Richard Nixon was elected President. Nixon served as the 37th President and was the only President to resign from the position. On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned from office while facing certain impeachment. Soon after, he was issued a controversial pardon by Gerald Ford, his successor. -
Kent State
On May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students were shot and killed during a mass protest against the bombing of Cambodia. These students were shot and killed by members of the Ohio National Guard in Kent, Ohio. This event caused a nationwide student strike which ultimately led to hundreds of universities and colleges to close. -
Nixon Visits China
President Nixon arrived in China on an official trip. He was the first president to visit the People's Republic of China since its establishment in 1949. President Nixon's visit to China was an important strategic and diplomatic proposal that marked the climax of the Nixon administration's renewal of a peaceful relationship between China and the United States. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
On January 27, 1973, an agreement was signed, agreeing to end the war and establish peace in Vietnam.This, however, did not end the war. The Vietnamese continued fighting after the United States withdrew all troops from Vietnam. -
Fall of Saigon
On April 30, 1975, the communist North Vietnam as well as the Viet Cong, captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. This caused South Vietnam to surrender, and finally brought an end to the Vietnam War. After the end of the war, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, named after North Vietnam's communist leader. Not only did the fall of Saigon end the war, but it began the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule. -
Reagan Elected
Ronald Reagan was an American politician who served as America's 40th President from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989. Reagan cut taxes, increased defense spending, negotiated with the Soviet Union and reduced nuclear arms, and is also believed to have brought a quicker end to the Cold War. -
SDI Announced
In March 1983, Reagan proposed the SDI, or the Strategic Defense Initiative. His proposal was known as Star Wars. The idea was a space based, high tech missile defense system that would prevent nuclear attacks from other countries, especially the Soviet Union. Although the idea of this missile defense system was far fetched and was years from being a reality, the Soviet Union saw it as an immediate threat. This caused a negotiation between the Soviet Union and the US which prevented nuclear war. -
Geneva Conference With Gorbachev
On November 19, 1985, and November 20, 1985, President Reagan met with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva, Switzerland. Known as the Geneva Summit of 1985, the two leaders met for the first time to discuss an international diplomatic relationship and the arms race. -
'Tear Down This Wall' Speech
On June 12, 1987, Reagan made an appearance at the Berlin Wall where he delivered a speech. Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall, protected by bullet proof glass and challenged Gorbachev to 'tear down this wall'. Reagan's speech led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
Following Reagan's speech at the Berlin Wall, the spokesman for East Berlin's communist party announced that there was going to be a change in the city's relationship with the West. This led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall, causing thousands of East Berliners to flee to freedom. This event played a key role in the downfall of many communist countries.
