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The Yalta Conference
The Yalta conference took in Russian in the town of Yalta. This meeting was between the “Big Three”, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of the countries during and after World War II. The conference concluded with The Soviet Union entering the war against Japan with 3 months of Germany’s surrender, with possession of the Sakhali islands. -
Berlin Declaration
A meeting in Berlin with the Allie forces and Soviet Union collegues was set to make the surrender of Germany official. Three documents were, The Berlin Declaration-Germany's surrender, the establishment of the Allied Control Council and the third document defined the occupation zones of the four powers, based on the territory of the German Reich as at 31 December 1937. -
The Potsdam Conference
This was the last meeting amongst war leaders. The discussions focued primarily on post war Europe including the declaration of Japan's total surrender and the agreement of the Council of Foreign Ministers including the Big Three, China, and France. Germany would put war criminals to trial. Stalin reestablished the borders between Poland. -
North Vietnam
After Japan offiialy surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh wanted to proclaim independant Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh’s forces took the capital of Hanoi and declared Vietnam to be an independent country, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. When France refused, Vietnam ounterattacked with guerilla warfare. -
Iron Curtain Speech
Winston Churchill gave a speech on how the United States and Britain should unite themselves since they were both English speaking nations. The "iron curtain" was drawn from both countries as a way of binding them and seperating them from the Soviet. This speech believed to be the begininng of the Cold War. -
First Indochina War
This war was fought between French forces vs. Viet Minh, Pathet Lao, and Khmer Issarak Communist Rebels. United States and Britain supported Frnce, while the Soviet Union supported the rebel with supplies. This war ended with a Vietnamese Communist victory, division of Vietnam into the Communist North and non-Communist South, independence of Laos and Cambodia. -
Containment Policy
The containment policy was practied by America. This meant America wouldkeep communism within its boundries without expanding it,. This meant Ameria would support help any givernment being invaded by communits. Its effects were well, not fighting thus a Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
Secretary of State George C. Marshall issued the Marshall plan in a graduation speech. This plan was equipped with startegies to rebuild Europe econoimcally using industtrialization in the West. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift consisted of 321 days of Western aircrafts delivering necessities to the people of Berlin. Over 272,000 flights into West Berlin by 700 aircrafts. after months of displeasure, and once the public gave it's sympathy to those in need, the Soviet Union concluded their blockade was failed and reopened the borders. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was an attempt made by the Soviet Union to block of all ties from the Western Powers into Berlin. The Soviet Union believed the west was violating the Potsdam agreement, and cut of all relations with therm. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Peace Treaty was signed by the United States, Canada and other Western countries in order to assure protection from eah other in case of an attack, from the Soviet Union more soecifically. President Truman said he would aid anybody in need economically and politically. After the reooperations after WW2 and the Berlin Blockade, the US felt the need to ensure such a policy. -
Soviet tests out A-bomb
The USSR had tested their first atomic bomb codenamed "First Lightning". They had built civilian structures and human-like animals in cages in the vicinity of the bomb to observe its effects on them. Everything was vaporized instantly. When the U.S found out 3 months later, they announced it and found out the creator of their bomb was giving secrets to USSR. Truman set out to build an even more powerful bomb and so did the Soviet Union. -
People's Republic of China
After WW2 most of nothern China was controlled by communists. After Japan's defeat Mao Zedong led a civil war against the unpopular nationalists and eventually won the war with the help of the peasant class. Thus the creation of the People's Republic of China. -
Second Red Scare
During the time of the Cold War, communists in the United States were out to investigation as a precaution. The government feared communits might undermine them. Senator Joseph McCarthy led the investigation for unloyal communits. He wasn't the only one. the House Un-American Activites Committee led a campaign against communists as well. People felt like they wefe being ambuhsed for pursuing a right they have. -
America's Involvement in the Korean War
After noth korean invaded South Korea, U.S troops were sent in to aid South Korea. Japanese troops in the South surrendered to American troops. In order to not make a permanent decision, the U.S constructed the 38th Parallel, a line dividing the halves. When war broke out on these lines, the U.S saw it as breach of peace and went in to aid. -
Executions of the Rosenbergs
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were a married couple sentenced to death for espionage, creating a ring of spies who sent information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. After being arrested in the summer of 1950, they were convicted to death in March 1951. They pleaded their innocence until the last second. -
Eisenhower's Presideny
The presidency of the Dwight Eisenhower brought forth many triumphs to the U.S. He fought vigorously as a general during the Second War World, had a truce in Korea, and worked nonstop during the Cold War. He signed treaties to ease tensions with the soviet Union. He strengthened Social Security. -
Nikita Khrushchev
After Stalin's death, Khrushchev annointed himself a possible successor to Stalin. Soon after he became the head of the Communist Party helping rebuild the torn up countryside. Soon after he began a de-stalinazation process, speaking about Stalin in a negative way and removing his remains from the musem. -
Iranian Coup D'etat
Mossadeq, the new premier of Iran began attacked British Oil companies in his country causing conflict with pro-Western elites of Iran and the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlev. The CIA, British intellegence and the Sha began working together to overthrow Mossadeq. Mossadeq was informed of this and set protestors out, but that wasn't enough to prevent his overthrow. The Shah resumed power signing over 40% of the oil companies to the U.S -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact consisted of the Soviet Union and seven satellites in Eastern Europe. It was used like NATO, but really only to ensure the safety of the satellites. This caused the divide of western and eastern Europe. -
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisi began when Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal. Israelis armed forces pushed into Suez Canal and were soon joined by Britain and France. The Soviet Union began to aid Egypt, even threatened Britian and France with a nuclear missle. President Eisenhower sent threats and eventually they did the trick when Britain and France withdrew forces. -
Hungarian Revolution
The revolution began when protestors set out to the streets to demand a more political system. They also demanded freedom from Soviet oppression. The Soviet Union rolled in shortly after with tanks to soar with their national uprising. -
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was a civil war that took place in Cuba between December 2, 1956, and January 2, 1959. In this armed struggle, the guerrilla forces, led by Fidel Castro, fought against the government army, under Fulgencio Batista, a dictator who had got into power. People believed astro because he promised themdemocracy and freedom like before. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was the world's first ever artificial satellite. It measured diameter of 22 inches and weighed 184 pounds and circled Earth once every hour and 36 minutes. People could see it with binoulars during sunset and could listen in with proper technology. This was the Soviets beginning the Space Race with other nations ti catch up with them. -
Kennedy Presidency
Kennedy was the 35th president, and the youngest president elected. His election was tough runnning against two term president Nixon. Being young and energetic and on tv, he won the eletion. -
U2 Incident
The U2 inident occured when people from the USSR shot down an American plane committing espionage, shooting pictures from above. Though the Soviet Union and Eisenhower sought for no lies, it was unconvered when the pilot and the wreckage from his plane was found. Eisenhower then had to admit that it was an American spy plane. -
First Man in Space
Yuri Gagarin was the first man to travel into space in April of 1961 he made a 108-minute orbital flight in his Vostok 1 spacecraft. -
Bay of Pigs
An early crisis occured during April 1961, when Kennedy approved the plan to send 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles to land in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. The purpose was to try to spark a rebellion against Castro, but that didn't happen and resulted in the death of all the exiles. kennedy then sat down with Krushchev to disuss Berlin and sent in tropps to Berlin assurng them of U.S support. -
Berlin Wall
The purpose of this Berlin Wall was to keep Western “fascists” from entering East Germany. Estern Germans who didn't want communsism fled to West Berlin thus the creation of the wall stopping the fleeding. -
Checkpoint Charlie
This was the face-off between the U.S and Soviet Union that was easily interpreted as the third world war. Checkpoint Charlie was the point where the tanks would rumble and get ready for the battle. -
JFK Assassination
In his open top convertible, Kennedy along with a givernor and his wife were waving to the crowd down a 10 mile march when Lee Harvey Oswald shot thre shots, injuring Kennedy and the governor. Kennedy was pronouned dead thirty minutes later at a nearby hospital, the Lydon Johnson the vice was sworn in an President two hours later. -
Gulf on Tonkin Resolution
This inciddent occured when North Vietnamese torpedo boats had fired at an American ship, the Maddox. Lydon Johnson, hearing this incident, pressed Congress for an approval of an expansion of the Vietnamese War. Johnson wanted to avoid more confrontation of aggressivness from North Korea. -
SALT I
To limit the number of nuclear weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union, a treaty was made, the Startegic Arms Limitation (SALT)First, the Intermin Agreement froze the number of exsisting weapons already on each side. ,Another was the Anti-ballistic missles, this limited missles that could shoot down other missles. The effects of these treaties was fear of an attack from the so called protected side. -
Prague Springs
The Prague Spring of 1968 is the period of time when the government of Czechoslovakia led by Alexander Dubček wanted a democratic government and lessen the grip Moscow had on the nation’s affairs. The Prague Spring ended with a Soviet invasion, the removal of Alexander Dubček as party leader and an end to reform within Czechoslovakia. -
America's Involvement in the Vietna War
North Korea had their first attacked a number of targets, mostly populated areas and places with heavy U.S. troop presence. In early 1965, the United States began air raids on North Vietnam and on Communist areas in the South; by 1966 there were about 190,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam. Even after a rise in troops and political strength the U.S and South korea were not able to overthrow North Kore -
Tet Offensive
Tet, the name of lunar new year holiday, was also the name of the Tet Offensive. The Tet offensive was a bunch of attacks planned in the cities of South Vietnam. The goals of this was to set of a rebellion in South Vietnam and urge the United States to withdrawl from aid. Even though South Vietnam was able to hold up the attacks it still resulted in a victory for the North with the slow withdrawl of the U.S. -
Nixon Presidency
Many good things came to America during Nixon's terms. Nixon was able to aliviate tensions between the USSR and China. In January 1973, he made a treaty with North Vietnam to end American involvement in Indochina. Though not a long residency due to the "Watergate Scandal", many peaceful times came to America. -
Apollo 11
The purpose of the Apollo 11 space mission was to be able to have a crew go into outer space safely and return safely. The mission was fiannly set into gear when three brave young men, Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, set off from Cape Kennedy. They all landed on the moon and were there for hours. This was ahuge milestone in American history and set a new standard for outer space expeditions. -
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
At this point in time, Britain, France, and China had aquired their own nulear weapons. To prevent the spread of nuclear weapons the nations signed the NNP. This stated that they were all in agreement about preventing spread of nuclear weapons to other nations. -
Nixon visits China
Suprisingly, President Nixon had scheduled a week of talks in Beijing. his ourpose was to rebuild the United State's relations with them. The back story behind this was Nixon knew iif he grew closer with China, he would show the Soviet Union they had more allies. and hoped China could be the key to putting an end to Vietnam's aggressiveness. -
Detente
The detente between the United States and the Soviet Union was a time of eased tension between the two nations who were always at some disagreement. Instead of impeding military power, the United States used diplomatic power to easen the tensions with the Soviet Union. -
SALT II
The SALT II treaty was even stricter version of the SALT I treaty. Now, the treaty stated that each side had to have a certain limit of nuclear weapons and asked for a reduction of nuclear weapons. -
Tiananmen Square Massacre
In May 1989, almost a million young college students protested in the streets of ebtral Being trying to bring awareness to the givernment of what the people want, which was for greater democracy. For three weaks these people protested yelling chants and songs. One day, Chinese troops stormed into the crowd and started firing, nearly 300 were killed and 10,000 arrested. The U.S decided to press economic sanctions against The People's Republic of China due to their violent actions. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
Once the Cold War had begun to die, the spokesman for East Berlin’s Communist Party told Berlin that their relationship with the West had changed, causing the wall of Berlin to open and let people in. Thousands of Berliners fled to the gates, drinking and celebrating as the gates were to be opened at midnight. A huge block party occurred and only then did the people of Berlin the was was really over. -
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
11 more Soviet Republics announced in late December they would no long be apart of the Soviet Union, Previously, 3 more reppublics had announced the same fate. This left the Soviet Union, once composed of 15 republis, only left standing with one. The harsh reforms and dictatorship of Mikhail Gorbachev played a tremendous role in the falling apart of the Soviet Union. He resigned a few days after.
