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Nuclear Arms Race
The nuclear arms race was a competition for supremacy in nuclear warfare between the United State and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. During the Cold War, many Soviet spies had infiltrated the US and had taken many secrets of the Nuclear weapons back to the soviets. This series of events are significant because it was the first time that the Soviets and the US could engage in mass destruction of each other and potentially the world. It gave the Cold War potentially disastrous consequences. -
The Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference (17 Jul - 2 Aug 1945) was a conference to decide how to administer the defeated Nazi Germany. Goals of the conference also included the establishment of post-war order, peace treaty issues, and countering the effects of the war. This had deep consequences because it was one of the first times that the US and Russia clashed openly and directly. These first disagreements helped get the ball rolling on the suspicion between the US and Russia, making this event significant. -
NATO Established
Many countries had been crippled by WW2. The possibility of Europe becoming completely communist became a frightening possibility. In response, NATO was founded in 1949 as a means of protection for Europe. NATO's primary purpose was to unify and strengthen the Western Allies' military response to a possible invasion of western Europe by the Soviet Union. Stalin hated NATO, and its genesis resulted in him becoming even more suspicious of the West, increasing tensions between Russia and the West. -
The Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian Uprising of 1956, was a revolution in Hungary against the then-government and it's Stalinist and Soviet policies and attitudes. The uprising eventually caused new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to pull Soviet forces out of Hungary. It is significant because it was one of the major acts of resistance against the Soviets and it eventually prevailed. The fact the Russians eventually left can be seen as a marker that Russia's foreign policy in Eastern Europe was beginning to soften. -
The Space Race
The Space Race was a race between the United States and the Soviet Union for supremacy in spaceflight during the Cold War. Each side saw spaceflight as a new frontier to prove their economic and technological superiority over the other. It was significant because it gave the competing superpowers something tangible to compete over. It was also have been beneficial for the world in that it diverted both countries' attention from the nuclear arms race to something more benign in the space race. -
U-2 Plane Incident
In 1960, CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down in a U-2 plane over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile. Powers parachuted safely but was captured. The fallout of the incident resulted in the cancellation of the Paris Summit scheduled to discuss the ongoing situation in divided Germany and the possibility of an arms control or test ban treaty. This incident resulted in a missed opportunity for the relaxation of tensions between the USSR and the United States. -
Building of the Berlin Wall
In an effort to stem the tide of refugees attempting to leave East Berlin, the communist government of East Germany begins building the Berlin Wall to divide East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall became a symbol of the Cold War. The stark division in Berlin between communist East and democratic West served was made physical. The Soviet bloc characterised the wall as a necessary protection against the degrading and immoral influences of decadent Western culture and capitalism. -
The Prague Spring
The Prague spring took place in 1968. After WW2, Czechoslovakia was dominated by the Soviet Union and effectively forced into communism by the Soviets. The citizens eventually rebelled, protesting the oppressive system. It was known as the Prague Spring. It is significant because it was one of the proxy wars that raged between the US and Russia. The US would have helped the Czechs to overthrow their communist government as a way to ensure the protection of capitalism and Western values.
