1946-1949
In May 1946, Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he spoke of the need for unity between the UK and US in order to stand up to the expanding Soviet Union and spread of communism. In this speech, he popularized the term “Iron Curtain,” a symbolic border dividing capitalist western nations and communist eastern nations.
A civil war fought between the years 1950 to 1953. Resulted in the formation of a Soviet-backed North and a United States-backed South.
Began with Sputnik in 1957. The US try to catch up with Soviet Union in space. The US effectively won this when Neil Armstrong became the first man to land on the moon in 1969.
These were treaties that limited the nuclear power of nations during the Cold War, and prevented the US and USSR from becoming too powerful militarily during the arms race.
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 1962, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968, SALT I 1972, SALT II 1979
Solidarity Movement 1980-1989
In 1947, President Truman announced that the US would provide Turkey and Greece with military support to fend off communist movements and outside pressure from the Soviet Union. There was also an initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave economic assistance to help the economic recovery of Western Europe after WWII ended. It was initiated by Secretary of State George C Marshall.
An event that is often looked to as an example of the severe paranoia of communism and the Cold War in the United States. On June 17th, 1950, this couple, as well as some others, were arrested on the charge of conspiracy to commit espionage by soliciting extremely classified documents to the Soviet Union.
The USSR shot down an American spy plane. The US tried to cover it up by saying it was a weather aircraft that went off route, but later admitted that it was a spy plane.The pilot of the plane was released back to the US in return for a captured Soviet spy.
This was a conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam, which was supported by the US. US troops pulled out in 1973, and North Vietnam won the war in 1975.
Vietnam War
Assassination Attempt On Pope John Paul II 1981
A military term used to describe a situation in which both sides of a conflict have the nuclear capability of completely annihilating the other. Both the US and USSR had the nuclear capability of destroying each other, resulting a time of high tension between the two nations.
Alliance formed by the Soviet Union and the seven members members from a mutual defense system. Began in 1955 and and held its last meeting in 1991.
The CIA trained an army of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. When the army landed in Cuba, they immediately came under attack by the Cuban army. The Cuban army dominated the exiles, and the invasion was over within 24hrs.
This was a period of time in which Czechoslovakia tried to move away from being communist. President Alexander Dubček tried to reform the constitution and make the nation more democratic. Soviet troops came into Czechoslovakia and arrested Dubček, re-implementing communist rule.
Prague Uprising 1968
Also known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, this was a proposed missile defense system with the goal of protecting the US from nuclear missiles.
Star Wars (1983)
Lasting almost a year from 1948 to 1949, this effort to bring food and fuel, as well as other supplies, to the people of West Berlin was in response to the blockade put on Berlin ordered by Stalin.
Students and workers revolt after Rakosi is forced to resign from office. At first the Soviet Union gives reforms to keep the people of the country happy, but after the country declared they would leave the Warsaw Pact the Soviet Union shut the revolution down which led to 30,000 deaths and 200,000 people fleeing to the West.
This was a flight from New York to Seoul, South Korea that was to fly through Alaska. As it flew from Alaska to Korea it went off path and into Soviet controlled airspace, and was subsequently shot down by the Soviet Air Force.
Korean Airlines Flight 007
This alliance formed on April 4th, 1949, was an effort to provide security for its member nations against the ever growing Soviet threat in case of an attack, to which the Soviets responded to by forming the Warsaw Pact.
The world’s first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. This began the Space Race.
Khrushchev started to put nuclear missiles in Cuba which is only 90 miles away from the US. To prevent the situation from getting any worse, the US set up a blockade around Cuba. The Soviet Union decides to remove the missiles from Cuba as long as the US agreed not to invade Cuba.
1980 and 1984 Olympic Boycott
Fall of a Berlin Wall 1989