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The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a communist revolution in Russia in 1917. This set up the ideological differences between democratic/capitalist America and communist Russia. -
The Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference would occur right after the defeat of Germany, the war with Japan still ongoing. Within the conference, tensions would emerge between the USA and the Soviet Union. Especially when it came to the argument between communism and democracy. -
Atomic Bomb
The atomic bomb would be the United States' biggest secret only known to the president and the spies Stalin sent during the Manhattan Project. Due to how powerful the atomic bomb war, the Soviet Union was upset due to it being the USA using it. The creation of the atomic bomb would change a lot about warfare, striking fear, no "pearl harbor" to ever happen and war declarations. -
Iron Curtain
A political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union right after WWII to keep itself and Eastern European allies from having any contact with the west, basically anyone that wasn't communist. This shows significance as it is the start of what would be the Cold War between the Western countries and the Soviet Union. -
Hollywood 10
The Hollywood 10 would consist of actors, screenwriters, directors, musicians and several others. These people would refuse to answer in front of Congress and instead would be charged and have their reputations ruined. This shows significance because of how the government was scared of their own citizens due to communism. -
Truman Doctrine
An American foreign policy that its purpose was to prevent the spread of communism during the Cold War. It began with having helped Greece and Turkey. This shows significance due to this being one of the actions the US had to make in order to stop communism from expanding throughout the countries. -
Marshall Plan
Also known as the European Recovery Plan (ERP). This was an American initiative that was made to aid Western Europe, funding over $12 Billion (About $100 billion in 2018 US dollars) in economic assistance to help countries in Western Europe. This shows significance as it helps the US get more support for them against communism. -
Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was created by the Soviet Union, it's purpose is to provide aid and rebuilding countries in Eastern Europe that was politically and economically aligned with the Soviet Union. Its significance was that it was a counter to the plan that the United States had against communism by making a "plan" to "aid" countries that are pro-communism. -
Berlin Airlift
After the Russians cut off access from allied zones in West Berlin, the Americans decided to start supplying West Berlin by air. This is significant due to showing how much the US cared about killing communism and would risk themselves to do so. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union would block Western Allies' railway, road and canal access to the sectors of Berlin that were under the control of the West. This shows significance because of how the Soviet Union would try to stop the west from getting rid of communism. -
(NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization
This organization was made for the sole purpose of providing security against the Soviet Union, the organization initially involved the USA, Canada, and other Western European nations. This shows significance in the cold war due to this being a way the US could prevent the spread of communism. -
Alger Hiss Case
American government official Alger Hiss was accused of being a Soviet spy. This shows significance due to this being one of the reasons Americans feared communist spies within the country. -
Soviet Bomb Test
A classified research and development program that was authorized by Joseph Stalin to make nuclear weapons during WWII. This shows significance due to the fact that the Soviet Union was also trying to compete with the US in being a world power. -
Rosenberg Trial
The couple known as Julius and Ethel Rosenburg would be accused of being Soviet spies, they'd be tried, convicted and soon executed. Later on, it'd be confirmed that they were in fact spies, having proof of them releasing important information. This shows significance due to the country having to start being more aware of who they really have working on the inside, hopefully not some communist. -
Korean War
A battle that would last 3 years. Communist North Korea would cross the 38th parallel and invade non-communist South Korea. Soon involving the United Nations to fight against North Korea. Ultimately the place would be demilitarized and having both North and South Korea up to this day. The war still hasn't ended. Having no real winner in the war. This shows significance due to the fact the whole war started because the US hates communism. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
A series of hearings held by the United States Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations. This would be a fight between the army accusing of blackmail and McCarthy accusing of communism. In the end, this would lead to the end of the McCarthy era. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Battle fo Dien Bien Phu was again another battle that the French would ultimately lose and withdraw their forces from Vietnam. This would lead to Vietnam being split at the 17th Parallel. Government events following this would be a cause for the beginning of the Vietnam War. -
Geneva Conference
A conference between several nations trying to settle the outstanding issues that resulted from the Korean War and the First Indochina War. This would create the North and South Vietnam countries. This shows significance as this would soon lead into the Vietnam War in which a hugely long lasting effect would hit the US. -
Warsaw Pact
Formerly known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. This was a group of the Soviet Union and it's satellite countries. This pact being something to counter NATO. -
Hungarian Revolution
Going from 10-23 to 11-10. Starting off as a student protest, it would grow into a revolution across the whole country against the Soviets, ultimately ending with a Soviet victory against the revolutionaries. This shows significance as it is early signs of countries fighting against Soviet control. -
U-2 Incident
A United States U-2 spy plane was shot down by Soviet Air Defense while the plane was taking photos of the Soviet territory. This significance would lead to the US and the Soviet Union having increasing tensions between each other. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A failed military invasion of Cuba that was led by a rebel group under the assistance of the CIA. The significance would lead to the rise of communism in Cuba and the US has to be the ones to kill it. -
Berlin Wall
As a way to stop citizens from leaving East Berlin, the communist government of East Germany built a wall to divide the west and east. This shows significance as it becomes a symbol of the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Going from 10-16-1962 to 10-28-1962, the crisis would be a confrontation between the US and USSR that started after the US discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. This shows significance due to this being one of the closest times where the world could have ended and the two superpowers continuing to hate each other after this. -
Assassination of Diem
Diem would be arrested and assassinated. This would cause celebration within South Vietnam as they didn't like him, at the same time chaos would rise up from this. The Vietnam War would get even wilder. -
Assassination of JFK
John F. Kennedy would be assassinated 2 weeks after the death of Dien Bien Phu. Following JFK's death, military strategies and the way the USA would deal with Vietnam would change due to the country being under a new presidency. -
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution would be the cause of the Vietnam war, also being one of the biggest mistakes the US congress makes in giving permission to president Johnson in basically giving him all military power. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder would be a series of bombings that would go on daily for 3 years (ending on November 2, 1968) during the Vietnam War. It is pretty significant due to this being complete nonstop dumping of bombs on a country for three straight years. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a large military campaign of surprise attacks from the Viet Cong down in South Vietnam. The Tet part of the name comes from the Tet holiday, a Vietnamese new year, this is the time when the attacks first took place. -
Assassination of MLK
The assassination of MLK was just the beginning of many other tragedies that would come right after this. This leaves an impact as he was such a big figure in the world, especially for African Americans. -
Assassination of RFK
The assassination of RFK would die 26 hours after being shot. Earlier that same day that he was shot, he was close to being president during that same time. Due to his death, secret service would now protect presidential candidates. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
From August 20 to 21 in 1968, Czechoslovakia was invaded by troops of the Warsaw Pact. The invasion killed 137 Czechoslovakian citizens. This invasion strengthened communism by killing anything that isn't pro-communism in Czechoslovakia. -
Riots of Democratic Convention
The convention was held August 26-29, 1968. Being held on a year of violence, more violence would occur with anti-war protests erupting at the convention leading into violence with the police. This would show significance as the US would struggle fighting communism and themselves. -
Election of Nixon
The election of Nixon was one of many events that occured during the year of 1968, following the death of MLK. Nixon would be a huge factor on the end of the Vietnam war. -
Kent State
The Kent State shooting would start off as a protest against the Cambodian Campaign, it would lead to 4 unarmed college students being shot killed, they were just walking nearby or watching the protest from a distance. This leads to hundreds of colleges, universities and high schools to close down as a protest. Giving more people a reason to back out of the Vietnam War. -
Nixon Visits China
From February 21 to 28, 1972, Nixon went to different cities in China. As a result of Nixon going to China, he ended up normalizing and creating a good relationship between China and the USA, this would help prevent both countries from clashing. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
President Richard Nixon ordered a ceasefire of the aerial bombings in North Vietnam. By January 27, 1973, all warring parties in the war of Vietnam signed a ceasefire. This shows some significance due to the longlasting effect of the citizens of the United States not supporting wars as much as before. The Vietnam war ends with the United States looking like the bad guys compared to the Soviet Union. -
Fall of Saigon
Two years after the USA left Vietnam, North Vietnam takes over Saigon, capital of South Vietnam. This would be the start of the reunification of Vietnam. The significance is on how the United States wasn't able to destroy communism in Vietnam, instead, it spread, this being a sign of defeat for the USA. -
Reagan Elected
Reagan would win by a landslide for a good reason, to literally make America great again. Reagan as president would be a big part of the end of the cold war as time goes by. -
SDI Announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars. The intent of this program was to create an anti-ballistic missile system all the way from space to prevent attacks from countries, specifically the Soviet Union. In reality, it was one of the greatest plans president Reagan ever announced as in the end, it was all just a lie to scare the Soviets and trick them into destroying themselves. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
Held from 11-19 to 11-20, President Reagan and Gorbachev meet for the first time to speak about the arms race and diplomatic relations. This would lead to the beginning of a better relationship with the Soviets. -
"Tear down this wall!" Speech
President Reagan made a speech in West Berlin calling out Gorbachev to open the barrier that has kept West and East Berlin separated since 1961. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
As the Cold War would get closer to ending in Eastern Europe, it was announced that citizens of East Germany would be free to cross the country's borders. This is significant due to the fact that this would lead closer and closer to the end of the cold war and the start of a good relationship between the east and west.
