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Period: to
Timespan of the Cold War.
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End of the Potsdam Conference.
The end of the Potsdam Conference marked the beginnings of the competition between Communism and Capitalism, so it is essentially the event that birthed the Cold War. -
The Korean War.
The Korean War was significant because it is one of the few examples of a conflict in which NATO directly intervened. NATO intervention was rare because of the division between the USSR and the US - the USSR would never support intervening, so talks would stagnate. Furthermore, it is the first example of a war in which Communist forces came against Capitalist forces. -
The Space Race
Starting with the push for the creation of a commission (by Sergei Korolev) specifically to beat the US to Earth orbit. Eventually, the commission grew into the USSR's space agency, and (successfully) continued their efforts to beat the Americans to various goals, notably the first human in space, first spacewalk, and first soft lunar impact. -
The Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian uprising was a rebellion against the Communist governemnt in Hungary. It was initiated by Hungarian students, unhappy with the conditions of the country. It ended when the USSR sent troops in to crush the rebels, which they swiftly did. It is important because it is an indication that conditions were not good for the Soviet Union, even in '56, and that people were unhappy enough to rebel. -
Vietnam War.
This date marks the first conflict between Viet Cong forces and South Vietnamese forces. Vietnam was significant because it was one of the first conflicts in which there was a strong anti-war movement in the US and a general disapproval by others outside of the nation. Furthermore, it wasted billions of dollars of military funding, American lives, and time. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Beginning with the first shipment of R-12 IRBMs, the CMC is a significant event because of it being considered the closest the world ever got to a nuclear war. It was also a shock to the US government, because up until that point the threat of destruction was less evident. -
The Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was an era of liberalization within Czechoslovakia. Alexander Dubcek was a reformist who sought to loosen the more oppressive Communist policies. This included a relaxation of censorship and de-centralization of power within the governemnt. Like the Hungarian Uprising, it was shut down after USSR states moved troops in.
