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The US Boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
To protest the Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan, the US did not submit athletes to participate in the Summer Olympics that year. It was seen to be pointless to both athletes and other nations, as it didn't affect any political issues. To retaliate, Russia did not submit their athletes for the next Summer Olympics held in the US. -
The Strategic Defense Initiative
Introduced by President Reagan, the SDI was a straegy to intercept missiles before they create mayhem for the intended target. It was eventually abandoned due to technology and funds of the time, but was reinstated and is now used as the leading defense of the US today. -
The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative
A program enacted by the US in 1984, its primary focus was to provide useful tariffs and regulations for Central America na dnearby Caribbean countries. It not only protected trades between these countries, but rooted out suspected communist agendas within them as well. After a more beneficial agreement was arranged between Mexico and the United States, this agreement fell out of place. -
The Iran-Contra Affair
In the second term of Reagan's presidency, officals were distributing arms to Iran, a country under an embargo from the US, in order to free prisoners. It was not actually proven whether President Reagan was involved in the scandal, but many suspected it was of his ochestration. -
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)
This treaty, signed into law by the United States and the Soviet Union, prohibited weaponry being within certain striking distances of the respective countries. The original intentions were to prevent attack and ease fears of a sudden escalation into war. However, as of late both countries are having diffulties holding to these obligations. -
The Collapse of the Berlin Wall
To seperate communism from democracy and east from west, the Berlin Wall was built to contain those two sides. However, it was announced that East and West could freely travel between the other as a result of the end of the Cold War, and the wall fell, along with the tensions of potential conflict. -
The Opening of the First McDonald's in Moscow
A sign of change within the Soviet Union, the first McDonald's opened in Moscow and was not controlled by the governmnet. Less than two years later, the Soviet Union fell, as if a precursor of what was to come. Not even communism could withstand McDonald's. -
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Establishing himself as the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, and worked with the US to end the Cold War. His policies of openess and reconstruction removed the power of the communist party, helping dissolve the Soviet Union. -
Germany is Reunified
After much discussion between the two governments, East and West Germany signed into law the Two Plus Four Treaty, recombing the two countries. The two countries, now as well, gained the seats West Germany had, such as NATO and the UN, but still equally accepted East Germany's chairs as merged. -
The Warsaw Pact is Dissolved
After the fall of communism, several countries resigned from communist alliances such as the Warsaw Pact. These alliances became useless after countries resigned, and especially when the UN could easily overpower such an agreement. -
The End of the Soviet Union
After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union did not have much left to stand upon. Without the support and control they once had, their government fell into disarray and was not strong enough to withstand the demands of their people, and as a result fell. -
Boris Yelstin elected President of Russia
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Yelstin became the first president of Russia. The stage was his to mold as the entire government had been reformed., and his contributions helped shape the Russian government to its current form.
