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The bombing of Hiroshima is a well known WWII fact, but many think this was the ignition of the cold war, hence why it is included. President Truman had warned the USSR about a deadly weapon, never said what it was though, but when in fact the USSR already knew about the Manhattan Project. This being said, Stalin was more worried about Germany than the weapon the United States made. Two days after the bombing, the USSR declared war on Japan.
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Former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill delivers his iconic speech in Fulton, Missouri. The Iron Curtain would be a boundary to block the USSR from coming further into western civilization.
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President Harry S. Truman writes a doctrine stating that the United States will aid in military and economics to European countries to help prevent the spread of communism. This also helped establish additional US military bases in democratic countries. The doctrine was approved by Congress on March 12.
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(Washington, DC) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in conjunction with 30 European and American countries. NATO was formed primarily to prevent the USSR from expanding and to collect intel on the USSR.
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The Korean War was critical to the cold war as the United States aided present-day south Korea and the USSR aided present-day North Korea. It would be the first time the two had come to clash in a separate war. The war began June 25th, 1950 Source: https://www.history.com/topics/korea/korean-war Image/Britannica/US Army Center for Military History
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Here's my inner space enthusiast for you. Take it or leave it, Prof. Evans. The USSR and NASA had an active space race during the cold war. The USSR was the first to launch an artificial satellite into space. Many expected the United States would be the first to do this so it came as a shock to many. The good news? The USA eventually won the space race. Source: Prior Knowledge Image: Novosti / Novosti via AP
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Dictator Fidel Castro becomes the leader of Cuba in 1959. He would work with Russia in their involvement in the Cuban missile crisis. He would also contribute to the spread of communism in Cuba.
Image and source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro#:~:text=Ideologically%20a%20Marxist%E2%80%93Leninist%20and,Cuba%20from%201961%20until%202011.&text=After%20Batista's%20overthrow%20in%201959,power%20as%20Cuba's%20Prime%20Minister. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the closest calls in military history as the USSR had an ongoing missile operation in Cuba, less than 100mi off the coast of Florida. With the states and USSR both having a supply of nuclear weapons, and the USSR working with Fidel Castro and Co. nuclear war was imminent. The standoff ended after Khrushchev ordered the withdrawal of missiles after talks with JFK.
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The War in Vietnam begins, resulting in the death of 3 million people. The United States was heavily involved in the war in its efforts to stop communism, which was present in North Vietnam. Source: https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history
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On Christmas day, 1991, President Gorbachev resigned and declared his government no more. That night, the Soviet flag was switch to the Russian flag, making it a great Christmas gift for the rest of the world. On December 26, the USSR was officially dissolved and all power went to the Kremlin. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union
