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The Iron Curtain Speech
An oration given by Winston Churchill, considered, at the beginning of the Cold War. He spoke about the "Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." Referring to the Blockade of Berlin after the separation of Germany. -
The Truman Doctrine
Harry Truman was the president at the time and stated the United States would provide political, military, and economical help to any nation resisting communism . -
The Molotov Plan
Molotov's Plan included economic help to Germany. He was also adamant in demanding that the Soviet Union have control and any actions over any Marshall Plan assistance to Germany. He wanted to know precisely how much money the United States would give to each nation. -
Hollywood Ten Hearings
Declared by the HUAC, ten film producers were alleged communist influence in the American motion picture business. They received jail sentences and were banned from working for the major Hollywood studios. -
The Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blockaded western Berlin because they were starting to heal themselves economically after the second world war. So they turned off all the power, food, and any supplies needed to survive. -
The Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan gave over $13 billion in funds to Europe between 1948 to 1951. Thu money was to help them recover after World War Two in hopes that they would not fall to communism. -
Alger Hiss Case
Former State Department official, Alger Hiss, is convicted of perjury. He apparently perjured himself when in testimony about his involvement with the Soviet spy group during World War 2. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created by the United States, Canada, and western European nations. It was the first military alliance the U.S. is in outside of the Western Hemisphere. It provided security against the Soviet Union. -
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1st Geneva Conference
Another Diplomatic Conference was held in Geneva to discuss the relief of the wounded and sick in our Armies in the Field of July 27, 1929. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union blockaded Berlin after Germany was decided up into four sections. The U.S. brought supplies, such as medical equipment, food, and coal for power. Planes were flying into western Berlin every three minutes day and night. -
The Soviet Atomic Bomb Test
The Soviet Union detonated in Kazakhstan. This was a big event for the Soviet Union because it levels the playing field between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. -
Korean War
75,000 North Korean soldiers poured across the 38th parallel, which is the boundary between the Democratic North Korea and Republic South Korea. By July, American soldiers entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. This was first military action of the Cold War. -
The Rosenberg Trial
Ethel ANd Julius Rosenberg are charged for giving the Soviet Union instructions on how to build the atomic bomb. This allows the Soviets to create one, years before they were expected to. -
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The French had a huge military force in the Lien Bien Phu valley to make sure that Vietnam stayed under their control. In 1954, the Viet Minh with aid from China, surrounded the whole valley and forced the French out. -
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Army-McCarthy Hearings
These hearings were the first to be televised, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was being charged improper influence to win preferential treatment. -
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Geneva Conference
People from the U.S, Soviet Union, Republic of China, France, and Great Britain came together to talk about many issues. One being the fate of Vietnam. After careful consideration, Vietnam was decided in half and free from colonial rule. -
The Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was an alliance between Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. It stated that any one of these nations would come to the aid of another if they were threatened. This gave the Soviet Union a mural defense organization in case Germany was to attack them. -
The Invasion of Hungary
Tue Soviet Union goes into Hungary to put an end to an uprising of people who wanted a more democratic government. Many were killed and the soviets prevailed. -
Bay of Pigs
Cuban nationalist named Fidel Castro, drove his army into Havana to overthrew General Fulgencio Batista, the American chosen leader. Later, the CIA trained Cuban natives and wanted them to take over Cuba. The invasion went badly and the natives surrendered in less than 24 hours. -
U2 Incident
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) shot down an American U-2 spy plane in Soviet air space and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. He was sentenced to ten years in prison but got out after only two because the U.S made the first ever "spy swap." -
The Berlin Wall
German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) began to build a barbed wire and concrete wall between East and West Berlin. This was to keep fascists from entering East Germany. But in late 1989, the wall was torn down. -
Cuban Missile Crisis 13 Days
Soviet missile were arriving in San Cristobal, Cuba. This was just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. The most dangerous encounter in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union had begun. We had missiles in Turkey and Greece pointed at all the major cities in the Soviet Union. By day thirteen, the missiles were removed in exchange for a non-invasion pledge from the United States. -
Assassination of Diem
After South Vietnam overthrows the North, Diem and his family are captured and killed by soldiers. This really worries the U.S. because now the North is left without a leader therefore more susceptible to communism. -
Assassination of JFK
The 35th president, John F. Kennedy, was killed traveling through Dallas Texas. His vice president, Lyndon Johnson, was sworn into presidency later that day. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The North Vietnam successfully held control of more than half of South Vietnam, after they made detailed plans for invasions. They asked for our help, but we declined, this made them pretty angry. -
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Operation Rolling Thunder
This was a bombing campaign for the U.S. to bomb throughout North Vietnam, in the hopes to keep putting pressure on South Vietnam. This was the first assault in Vietnam put on by the U.S. -
Tet Offensive
Viet Cong and North Vietnam came together to create plan to attack a series of 100 towns and cities throughout South Vietnam. They hoped to both limit U.S. support for the South, and aid the rebels working with the North. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. It sped up the equal housing bill, which was the last major conquest of MLK's movements. -
Assassination of RFK
Senator Robert Kennedy was shot over and over again by the 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in LA after winning the California presidential primary. -
The Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to stop communism from being destroyed by citizens that wanted to reform. The Soviet Union succeeded but the events had a toll to there plan. The Soviets used the Brezhnev Doctrine to reduce the U.S's time in Europe. -
Riots at Democratic National Convention in Chicago
Thousands of protesters fought police in the streets of Chicago. The Democratic Party fell apart over a disagreement concerning its stance on Vietnam. -
Election of Richard Nixon
The Republican applicant, Richard Nixon, won the election over the Democratic applicant, Hubert Humphrey. -
Kent State Shooting
Nixon stated that the U.S. needed 150,000 more volunteers to invade Columbia. Ergo, at Kent State University, Ohio, protesters set fire to the ROTC building. -
Nixon visits China
Trying to re-establishing diplomatic relations between the United States and communist China, Nixon traveled to Beijing for a week. He wanted to normalize relations between the two countries. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
Saigon controlled about three fourths of South Vietnam’s territory and the majority of the population. Each side held military bases and were justified by the other side’s violations of the cease-fire. -
Fall of Saigon
The North Vietnamese Army took over Saigon with little resistance, the remaining Americans were evacuated by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. -
Election of Ronald Reagan
He was an actor and California governor before serving as the 40th U.S. president from 1981 to 1989. He cut taxes, increased defense spending, negotiated a nuclear arms reduction agreement with the Soviets and brought a quicker end to the Cold War. -
Announcement of SDI ('Star Wars')
President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a futuristic project that would destroy any kind of missile in space. This program was immediately named "Star Wars." -
'Tear Down This Wall' Speech
Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. He does this while in front of the wall. It was a very powerful yet dangerous speech because he was very close to the Soviet territory. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The head of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens of the GDR could cross the border whenever they wanted. That night, thousands of people crossed the wall and worked together to tear it down.
