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US Propoganda
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USSR Propoganda
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Cold War Hotspots
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Yalta Conference
Leaders from the US, Britain and the Soviet Union met at the Soviet Black Sea resort of Yalta. They agreed to divide Germany into zones of occupation controlled by allied forces. Germany would also have to pay the Soviet Union to compensate for all the loss of life. Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan and to allow free elections in Eastern Europe. -
UN is created
The US and the Soviet temporarily set aside their differences and joined 48 other countries to form an international organization, the UN. This organization was intended to protect its members from aggression. -
Trinity - The United State's First Atomic Bomb
As a part of the Manhattan Project during World War 2, America created the first atomic bomb. This device was tested and proved to be successful. It was nicknamed "Trinity". Trinity greatly impacted the Cold War era, as it began the arms race between the US and the USSR and forever changed the course of the war. The Soviet Union felt threatened by the US's complex new weapon, and began to improve their own weapons, creating a competition between the US and USSR that lasted for years. -
Communism and Capitalism can not coexist!
Stalin declares that communism and capitalism can not coexist, and violates his statements at the Yalta conference by refusing to permit free elections in Eastern Europe -
Pilots: The "Santa Clause" of West Berlin
In the 11 months that West Berlin was blockaded by the Soviet Union, British and US forces flew supplies into the city. Along with essential supplies, troops sometimes flew in gifts and candy. Children would wait outside until they spotted planes coming, and would wave to the pilots as they flew by. Support for the US and the British grew among the young population, as they were thought of as heroes to the children. -
NATO is Formed
The events in Berlin made Western Europe fear Soviet aggression. As a result, 10 western European nations joined with Canada and the US to form a defensive military alliance, called NATO. If any member nation got attacked, the rest of the nations in the alliance would come to their defense. -
Mao gains power
After having defeated the nationalist forces, communist leader Mao Zedong took control over China. -
Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969)
Ho Chi Minh, was born in the village of Kim Liem and was the son of a poor scholar. He attended school and then worked as a steamship cook in France. Minh's communist party led revolts and strikes against the France, and he was later jailed, but managed to escape. Minh returned Vietnam in 1941 and founded the Vietminh League. Minh's party fought against French armies and managed to defeat them, declaring himself as president. Later Vietnam was divided, with Minh ruling the North. -
The World Split in Half: Allies vs. USSR
The division of the world during the Cold War in 1953. -
Korean War Statistics
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UN forces and North Korea seize fire
After a long war in North Korea, the UN troops and North Korea signed a cease-fire agreement, and set the border between north and south Korea near the 38th parallel, nearly where it had been before the war. -
US Troops in the Vietnam War
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The Warsaw Pact is Formed
Seeing NATO as a threat, the Soviet Union formed an alliance with East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. -
Bandung Conference
Indonesia hosted the Bandung conference, in which many leaders from Asia and Africa met to form a "third force" of independent countries, also known as nonaligned nations. These countries all shared a common desire, to remain neutral and not get involved in the Cold War. -
The Space Race
Not only did the US and the Soviet Union compete for influence throughout the world, but they also began to compete in the skies as well. The Soviet Union launched the first successful satellite into space in 1957, causing the US to accelerate its space program in order to compete with the Soviets. -
The Rule of Fidel Castro
Previously, Cuba was ruled by an unpopular dictator who was supported by the US. Cuban resentment led to a popular revolution led by Fidel Castro which overthrew Fulgencio Batista, the former dictator of Cuba. -
The Soviets and Chinese Split
Tensions continued to grow between the Soviets and the Chinese following the signing of their peace treaty in 1950. The Chinese decide to spread their own brand of communism throughout Africa and parts of Asia rather than the Soviet type. To punish the Chinese, Khrushchev, the Soviet leader at the time, refused to share nuclear secrets. The Soviets later end economic aid to China. The Chinese and the Soviets are officially split. -
Fidel Castro (1926-present)
Fidel Castro was born in southeastern Cuba to a relatively wealthy family. He attended law school in Havana, focusing on politics. Castro took part in riots and even in an attempt to invade the Dominican Republic and overthrow Gen. Trujillo. Later, Castro led a revolution that overthrew the unpopular Cuban ruler Fulgencio Batista. Castro then became the dictator of Cuba, and continues to rule the country. Castro is criticized for his harsh reforms, however he managed to improve the economy -
The Bay of Pigs
The CIA invaded Cuba in hopes of overthrowing Fidel Castro. However, the US did not provide the essential air support, and the invaders were easily defeated by Castro's forces. -
The Berlin Wall
The East Germans built a wall to separate east and west Berlin. This marked the dividing of the world into rival camps. -
1999 - Prince
https://youtu.be/2QM6vWdcUG8
Prince's song 1999 was written in 1982 during the height of the Cold War. Under Reagan, the US was stockpiling nuclear weapons and was on the brink of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Nuclear war was a fear of the general population. In 1999 Prince discusses this fear, stating "Yeah, everybody's got a bomb / We could all die any day". He explains that nuclear war could happen in "two thousand zero, zero" so we must party before then. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Khruschev secretly began to build 42 missile sites in Cuba. Once these sites were discovered by the US, president John F. Kennedy ordered for their removal, announcing a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent the Soviets from getting more missiles. Khrushchev did whatever he could to defend Cuba and the weapons on the island, and was ready to use nuclear weapons to do so if needed. Fortunately, Khruschev agreed to remove the missiles if the US promised to not attack Cuba. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis (video)
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The Cold War and Nuclear Arms Race
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Vietnam War
Vietnam is divided, the north being governed by communist forces, the south by anti-communists. With the likely possibility of a communist victory, the US sends troops into Vietnam. However, the anit-communist government was losing support and the war grew unpopular in the US. So in 1969 Nixon began withdrawing US troops, while the South Vietnamese increased their combat role. The war later ended with over 1.5 million Vietnamese deaths and 58,000 American deaths. -
The Cultural Revolution
Mao encouraged China's young population to "learn revolution by making revolution". Millions of college and high school students responded, and left their schools to form militia units. Their goal was to eliminate the intellectuals, who were forced to "purify" themselves by doing common labor-intensive work. -
SALT I Treaty is Signed
After a series of meetings regarding arms limitation, US president Nixon and Soviet leader Brezhnev signed the SALT 1 treaty, which limited the amount of intercontinental ballistic and submarine-launched missiles each country could have. -
Cambodia in Turmoil
Communist rebels, also known as the Khmer Rouge, set up a ruthless communist government under the leadership of Pol Pot in Cambodia. -
Détente and Cooperation
Thirty three nations joined the US and the Soviet Union in signing a commitment to detente, or a relaxing of tensions, and cooperation. -
Richard Nixon (1913-1994)
Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California on January 9, 1913. His childhood was a rough one, as he was a part of a poor family and experienced many tragedies early on. He went to law school, worked in Washington DC, and later joined the Navy. Once he returned, he won a seat in congress and went on to become the vice president. He ran again and became president in 1968. Nixon later resigned in 1974 after a series of scandals made him likely to be impeached. -
The shah flee Iran and Khoemeini takes power
Faced with opposition, the Shah fled Iran and Khoemeini, a conservative Muslim leader, returned to establish an Islamic state. Khoemeini encouraged Muslims to overthrow their governments, which caused chaos and tensions. War broke out between Iran and Iraq. -
Americans Held Hostage in the US Embassy
Soon after Khomeini took control, he took revenge on the US for their support of the shah. In 1979 Islamic revolutionaries seized control of the US embassy in Tehran and took more than 60 Americans hostage. Some died, however most remained prisoners for 441, until they were released in 1981. -
Soviet troops withdraw
Realizing the devastating cost of the war, the new Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev orders all Soviet troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.
