-
Arms Race
I chose this event because it is the first source of tension between the USSR and USA. This event caused a lot of tension between the USA and USSR as they felt that they were competing against each other to create the largest bomb. The fact that the USA detonated the Atomic bomb in Japan without telling the USSR caused the USSR to greatly distrust the USA and the USA also had reason to distrust the USSR as it was become known that Russian spies had infiltrated project Manhattan. -
Policy of Containment
I chose the Policy of Containment because it served as an under current which attributed to the cause of many other events through the Cold War. The American Policy of Containment was an American Policy to stop the Communists broadening their sphere of influence. This American Policy helped cause many proxy wars including Vietnam and Afghanistan. Although the Policy of Containment cannot be described as an event it certainly caused great tension betweeen the USA and the USSR. -
Space Race
In the space race the USA and the USSR were again in direct competition with each other. The space race, although not as confrontational as other events on the timeline shows how competitvie the two countries were with each other. If one country set out to explore space then the other country did the exact same thing. However this petty rivarly evolved into something far more sinister which plunged both countries into mass paranioa and fear for several decades. -
Berlin Wall
The Soviets puting up the Berlin Wall marked the complete disintegration of the realtionship between USA and the USSR. From then on their petty rivalry had well and truly turned into something more ferocious as future disputes brought the countries to the brink of war. -
Cuban Missile Crises
The Cuban Missile Crises was well into the Cold War and brought both countries to the very brink of war. The fact that both navies were facing each other off shows just how close war was on that day, all it would have taken is one shot to bring about a possible nuclear holocaust in both countries. -
SALT Treaty
This marked the stage were both sides were willing to work towards the end of all of the tension which had built up over the course of the Cold War as they negotiatied giving up their nuclear bombs to avoid armageddon. This event marked the beginning of the end of the cold war.
