-
The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was the beginning of the Communist era in Russia. It took place between March and December of 1917. The US did not support the Communist movement because it stripped away the citizen's human rights and did not give them freedom. This marked the beginning of the tension that was formed between the US and Russia. -
The Iron Curtain
The "Iron Curtain" was the name for the boundary line that divided Europe into 2 separate parts from the end of World War 2 in 1945 until 1991. No one was allowed to pass the Iron Curtain coming from either side. The main goal of the boundary line was to block the Soviet Union and its "satellite" countries from coming into contact with the West and all of the policies that they practiced which the Soviets did not agree with. -
The Potsdam Conference
The leaders of many countries held a conference between July 17 and August 2, 1945, in an attempt to discuss the future of post-war Europe. The United States and Great Britain wanted peace, freedom, and democracy to be the basis of government. However, Stalin did not like this idea. This caused a build-up of tension between the US and Russia which affected the start of the Cold War. -
The Atomic Bomb
It was evident that the Japanese were not going to give up and offer the unconditional surrender that the US demanded. After much deliberation, President Harry Truman gave the go-ahead to drop the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. One bomb was not enough and the Japanese still refused to surrender. This preempted the dropping of the second atomic bomb in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. At last, the Japanese surrendered and the US had won the war in the Pacific. -
The Hollywood 10
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was founded in 1947 to investigate any Communist influence in Hollywood. They began to hold hearings for the people of Hollywood. Many people complied, but there were 10 who refused to answer any questions and testify and they became known as the Hollywood 10. They were all convicted of contempt to Congress and were sent to prison. -
The Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was created by the Soviet Union throughout 1947. Its goal was to provide the necessary aid in order to rebuild all of the countries in Eastern Europe. This plan was only for the countries who were politically and economically aligned with Russia. After all of the countries had be rebuilt, the main goal was to take over the rest of Europe and head West to conquer the United States. -
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was an American Foreign policy whose primary goal was to eliminate the possibility of Soviet or Communist expansion throughout Europe. This was to be accomplished by offering financial aid to any European country that desired it in order to prevent them from swaying to Communism. President Truman proposed this plan to Congress on March 12, 1947 and it ultimately came into effect on July 12, after Czechloslovakia fell to Communism. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid all of Western Europe and help them rebuild their countries and their economies. This plan was initiated in order to prevent the rise of communism. If the countries had not been able to rebuild themselves, they would have adopted Communism in order to save all of their citizens from starvation and death. The plan was finally approved by Congress on June 3, 1948. All of Europe was offered aid and only Russia and its satellites refused. -
The Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first conflicts of the Cold War. When Stalin completely blocked off Berlin from the United States and their allies the US decided that they could not leave the citizens of Berlin to die and that they needed to take action. Stalin blockaded Berlin in an act of retaliation due to the US reuniting West Germany and due to the introduction of the new currency on the West half of Germany. He was afraid that West Germany would come for him next. -
The Berlin Airlift
Between June 24, 1948, and May 12, 1949, the US dropped every imaginable type of supplies, via plane, on the streets of Berlin. This saved the citizens of Berlin from starving and freezing to death during the blockade that Stalin had initiated. The US was worried that by doing this, Rissia would declare war on them. However, the alternativie was not an option; they could not leave the citizens of Berlin defenseless. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was signed on April 4, 1949, by various North American and European countries. It was a military alliance that was formed in order to provide collective security against the Soviet Union and all of their allies. In retaliation, the Soviets and all of their allies, formed their own military alliance which was was known as, The Warsaw Pact. -
The Soviet Bomb Test
On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union successfully detonated their first atomic bomb. This came as a huge shock to the United States because now they did not have the upper hand to the Russians. The playing field had suddenly become even and the US did not like that. No longer could they control Russia with the threat of an atomic bomb, because now Russia could send one right back. -
The Alger Hiss Case
On January 21, 1950, Alger Hiss, who was formerly a State Department Employee, was convicted of perjury. He was accused of spying on the US for the Soviet Union. It was suspected that he sent state documents to the Russians and he was convicted of perjury and sentenced to 5 years in prison. -
The Korean War
The Korean War was fought between North and South Korea between June 25, 1950, and July 27, 1953. It all began when North Korea, who were given supplies and information by the Soviets, invaded South Korea. The US joined in order to help South Korea combat their Communist opponents. The war gained neither country any ground, as at the end of the war both countries were still divided and hostile towards each other. -
The Rosenberg Trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of sending US bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. After a short 3 week trial which began on March 6 1950, the couple were both convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage and they were both given the death penalty and were later killed by the electric chair. They were credited with handing over the secret of the atomic bomb to the Russians. -
The McCarthy vs. US Army Hearings
A series of hearings were held between April and June 1954 in order to investigate several contradictory allegations between the US Army and Senator McCarthy. Ultimately, these hearings exposed McCarthy as a fraud because his true intentions came to light. He was a very selfish and proud person who wanted everyone to listen and obey him. After these hearings, no one resected him or regarded him with any value. These hearing resulted in him losing all of his credibility. -
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
On March 13, 1954, 12,000 French Paratroopers descended into the Valley of Dien Bien Phu. Their main goal was to draw the Vietnamese soldiers into a battle in order to end the war. They were fighting in order to gain control of a small mountain near the border between Vietnam and Laos. However, the Vietminh were surprisingly more prepared than the French thought was possible and it quickly became the greatest military defeat in French history with the battle ending on May 7, 1954. -
The Geneva Conference
Between April 26 and July 21, 1954 representatives from the leading world powers met in Geneva in order to discuss the arising problems in Asia, including the war and the Vietnamese nationalists in Indochina. This conference began just as France suffered a huge defeat and they agreed to withdraw their troops from Northern Vietnam as well as Vietnam becoming divided at the 17th parallel for at least 2 years until a public election could be held and they could elect their own public leaders. -
The Warsaw Pact
It was a treaty signed on May 14, 1955, in Warsaw, Poland. It was signed by the Soviet Union and seven of their satellite countries. This military alliance was formed in retaliation for the formation of NATO. There was never any direct confrontation between the two alliances, but there was always an obvious tension. The pact was finally dissolved on July 1 1991. -
The Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution took place between October 23, 1956, and November 10, 1956. It was a nationwide rebellion against the Communist government of Hungary and all of its policies that were initiated by the Russians. Eventually, the Soviets invaded Hungary in order to end the revolution and by doing so they killed many Hungarians. However, Hungary was no longer controlled by the Stalin-istic methods that it had once been and the country slowly moved towards their own freedom. -
The U2 Incident
On May 1, 1960, a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down while it was inside Soviet airspace. This caused the tension between the US and Russia to rise dramatically. The Soviets captured the pilot and the US President at the time, Dwight D. Eisenhower was forced to admit that the US had been authorizing spy missions over Russia for some time. The pilot was convicted of espionage and was sentenced to two years in prison, however, he was released early in exchange for a USSR spy. -
The Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs invasion was an unsuccessful attempt at overthrowing and killing the supposed Communist leader, Fidel Castro. On April 17, 1961, about 1400 Cuban exiles led an invasion at the Bay of Pigs. The attack may have had a different outcome if JFK had let the US military aid the exiles, however, he denied the requested backup and the attack provided no comfort for the Cubans. Castro not only remained alive, but he was now very wary of the US and would likely side with the Soviets. -
The Berlin Wall
Every day thousands of East Berliners were fleeing from their Communist life into the free land of West Germany. In order to prevent this from happening, on August 13, 1961, the Soviet leaders erected a fence known as the "Berlin Wall", which separated East Germany from the rest of it. This made it nearly impossible for anyone to pass through from both sides. Soon after, they began to replace the fence with concrete. They claimed that the wall would protect them from the capitalist culture. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Between October 16 and October 28, 1962, a very tense, political and military standoff occurred between the US and the Soviets. The Soviets had secretly planted nuclear arm bases off the coast of Cuba, just 90 miles away from the US. The US did not like the Soviets having nuclear weapons so close and they did not trust them. The whole world believed that we were on the brink of a nuclear war. However, the Soviets finally agreed to take down their missiles if the US promised not to invade Cuba. -
The Assassination of Diem
Diem's inflexibility to work with America and his blatant corruption led to the downfall of South Vietnam's government. Diem ordered Marshall Law in Saigon, the capital, and he also ordered sanctions against Buddhists because he was Catholic. He lost the support of his people and the US knew that South Vietnam would continue to spiral downwards if Diem was not eliminated. So the US launched a secret mission and the Diem was eventually captured and killed by the CIA on November 2 1963. -
The Assassination of JFK
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a 10-mile motorcade through Dallas, Texas. His murderer, Lee Harvey Oswald, fired off 3 shots at 12:30 pm from the 6th floor of a nearby building and fatally wounded the President. Just 30 minutes after the shooting JFK was announced dead and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in shortly after. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested later that day after killing a policeman and was later murdered by a JFK supporter. -
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
On August 7, 1964, Congress allowed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution to be passed. This bill allowed President Johnson to take any measure that he deemed fit in order to respond and promote the preservation of international peace as well as stop the spread of Communism throughout Southeast Asia. This bill was a result of the Tonkin Gulf Accident when 2 American Destroyers were attacked by the enemy repeatedly in the Gulf of Tonkin. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the continuous bombing of various targets throughout North Vietnam This operation had been authorized by President Johnson. The bombing took place between March 1965 and October 1968, lasting about 3 1/2 years. Its intention was to put large amounts of military pressure on North Vietnam and their Communist leaders and to reduce their ability to wage war. Operation Rolling Thunder represented a huge expansion of the US and their involvement in the Vietnam War. -
TET Offensive
The VC launched a major assault on almost every major military and political center inside of South Vietnam. The initial attack completely took the US by surprise and it was a very tenacious and well planned out battle. While the VC lost many more soldiers than the US did, the scale and boldness of the attacks delivered a massive blow to the political support for the war in the US. The media declared TET to be a psychological victory for the VC because it exposed the US's flawed war policy. -
The Assassination of MLK Jr.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was killed while giving a speech in Memphis, Tennessee. King was a leading civil rights activist and a Baptist pastor. He fought for the rights of African-Americans and opposed segregation throughout the country. His murder initiated a massive outrage from the African-Americans as well as sparked a national mourning which helped initiate even more civil change. -
The Assassination of RFK
On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was murdered while giving a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He had recently won the California Presidential Primaries and was on a campaign trail in order to gain more supporters for the upcoming Presidential election. The man that killed him did not agree with his political views and he shot Kennedy three times and Kennedy could not recover from his injuries. -
Riots of the Democratic Convention
At the Democratic Convention held in Chicago on August 26-29 1968, 1000s of Vietnam War protestors fought the police in the streets outside of the convention. Inside the convention, the Democratic Party was disagreeing due to opposing opinions regarding the United States' position in Vietnam. A fight broke out on the Convention floor and delegates and reporters were beaten. Outside, 27,000 police officers were sent to contain the rioters and many of their brutal actions were caught on camera. -
The Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On August 20, 1968, about 200,000 Warsaw Pact Troops and 5,000 tanks overran Czechoslovakia and put an end to "Prague Spring" - which was a time of liberalization throughout the Communist country. The people protested with public demonstrations and acts of non-violence, but their attempts were futile when matched with the Soviet tanks. Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Soviet Union until September 20, 1968 when the Soviets pulled back and left. -
The Election of Nixon
After losing the presidential race in 1960 to John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon defeated Hubert H. Humphrey and was elected as president on November 5, 1968. Nixon had about 32 million votes which gave him an obvious majority in the electoral college. 2 years after he first lost to Kennedy, Nixon ran for governor of California, but he lost and many believed that his political career was finished. Nixon took a position between conservative Ronald Reagan and liberal Governor Nelson Rockefeller. -
The Kent State Shooting
On May 4, 1970, 4 students who attended Kent State University were killed and 9 more were injured when the Ohio National Gaurd opened fire on a Vietnam War protest. Shortly after the shooting, a strike led by students forced many schools and colleges across the nation to close temporarily. Some think that this shooting shifted the public opinion of the war and it could have aided in the fall of Nixon. -
Nixon Visits China
In an attempt to fix relations between the US and Communist China, President Nixon travelled to Beijing for a week of talks with the government. Nixon's actions initiated the slow process of fixing diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. After the Communist Revolution of 1949, the US had not formally recognized China and the two world powers had been enemies. Nixon's visit to China was an attempt to drive a large wedge between the 2 biggest Communist nations of the world; Russia and China. -
The Ceasefire in Vietnam
The Paris Peace Accords that were signed on January 27, 1973, removed the US from any conflict in Vietnam. However, the limitations of this ceasefire were constantly being disregarded by the North Vietnamese and the government of Saigon, but they gained no reaction from the US. The disregard for the laws set in place by the Paris Peace Accords eventually caused the rise of Communism by the end of 1973. While the accords removed the US from war it still did not solve the issue of Communism. -
The Fall of Saigon
Towards the end of April 1975, the outskirts of the capital, Saigon were breached by the North Vietnamese. On April 29, the US realized that their presence in Saigon would be unwelcome and the largest helicopter evacuation ever was held in order to remove all of the AMericanas. The following day, the surrender of Saigon was announced by the President of South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese army conquered Saigon with little opposition and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City after their former leader. -
Reagan Elected as President
Reagan was a former actor and governor of California. He won the presidency with a 51% lead over his opponent on November 4, 1980 and would come to served 2 Presidential terms. He was known as the "Great Communicator" and throughout his 2 terms would cut taxes, massively increase defense spending and negotiate a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia. He is credited with bringing about an end to the Cold War and tearing down the Berlin Wall. -
SDI Announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative which was also known as "Star Wars" was initially announced on March 23, 1983. The goal of SDI was to develop a highly sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent future missile attacks from other countries, especially the Soviet Union. While this program never took effect, the Soviets did not know this, and the announcement SDI scared off the Soviets and prevented them from launching any attacks for fear of retaliation from the SDI. -
The Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
On November 19, 1985, the leaders of the Soviet Union and the US held a conference for the first time in 8 years. While the 2 leaders, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev produced no major agreements they developed what appeared to be a sincere relationship with each other. The meeting came as a surprise to some, given Reagan's firm stance on Communism and the Soviet Union as a whole. However, Reagan wanted to keep the nuclear arms race under control and he knew that meeting with him was vital. -
The 'Tear Down This Wall' Speech
On June 12, 1987, US President Ronald Reagan gave a speech in front of the Berlin Wall urging the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev to tear it down. The wall had been built by Communists in 1961 in order to prevent Germans to flee from Communism. It spanned for hundreds of miles and was 12 feet thick. The wall stood as a symbol of oppression and the Cold War which had spanned decades. Now that the countries had reached a semblance of peace, Reagan believed that it was time to destroy the wall. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
As the Cold War finally came to an end, the East Berlin's Communist Party announced that a change was coming regarding the city's relations with West Berlin. Starting at midnight on November 9, 1989, citizens were permitted to cross the country's borders freely. People broke off pieces of the wall and saved them in order to remember the trials that they had survived. Soon the wall was physically torn down and the 2 halves of Berlin were unified again for the first time since 1945.
