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USSR dissolved - 15 Republics gain independence, including Russia.  

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USSR dissolved - 15 Republics gain independence, including Russia.  

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15 countries gain their independence after the Soviet Union finished being communist. The Chornobyl tragedy was disastrous for the USSR. The Soviet Union became aware of the failure that they are under due to the failure of glasnost and perestroika, which led to a drastic loss of public trust. Gorbachev tried to strengthen his economic relationships and reduced their military and nuclear presence across the world. The 15 former Soviet Republics declared independence. Chornobyl, Perestroika, Glasnost, a broken economy, a decaying military, having an authoritarian regime, the multiculturalism of the nation, corruption, and no free market economy all led to the USSR dissolving.

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After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany and reunited (Communism vs. Non-communism). This was a shock to the people. The governments merged and the Soviet Union did nothing to stop them because the SU was in an economic collapse.

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Boris Yeltsin elected as President of Russia

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Boris Yeltsin elected as President of Russia

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Boris Yeltsin was elected as the first president of the Russian Federation in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yeltsin was a key figure in the transition from communism to democracy in Russia. Yeltsin's presidency was marked by economic and political turmoil, but he is widely credited with laying the groundwork for a more democratic and market-oriented Russia.

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East German construction workers began constructing the wall that separated families, cities, and parts of the world. This was an impassible border. Life in East Germany was controlled, citizens were monitored, and nobody could leave. The West had greater freedom and could travel. East Germany decided to close the border, which created the Berlin Wall between East and West Germany. This wall became a global symbol of communist repression. People began to demolish the wall and Germany became reunified. The Soviet Union collapsed.

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Tiananmen Square, 王府井 Dongcheng, Beijing, China

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The Tiananmen Square Massacre took place in Beijing China where the Chinese government, led by the Communist Party, used military force to suppress pro-democracy protests in the square. There were many casualties and the massacre was widely condemned by the international community, and led to a deterioration in US-China relations. It also highlighted the limits of the Chinese government's willingness to tolerate dissent, and raised questions about the future of democracy in China.

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Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania oust Communist governments

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Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania oust Communist governments

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Waves of revolutions swept across Eastern Europe in the late 1980s-1990s and resulted in the outsing of communist governments in Pol., Hungary, Czech., Bulgaria, and Romania. These revolutions were largely peaceful, and were driven by popular demand for a greater political freedom and economic opportunity. The revolutions marked the end of the Cold War, and the beginning of a new era of democracy and capitalism in Eastern Europe.

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The Soviet Union withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, which marked the end of a decade-long conflict. The withdrawal was seen as a victory for the Afghan resistance, which had been supported by the US and other countries. The conflict had been costly for both sides, and was apart of the contributing factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union later on.

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Gorbachev begins “glasnost” and “perestroika” in efforts to reform the USSR

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Gorbachev begins “glasnost” and “perestroika” in efforts to reform the USSR

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Finances were bad for the Soviet Union, everyone wanted economic security and their needs to be met. Gorbachev attempts to reform the Soviet Union, which does not work. He wanted economic, political, and moral reforms. He wanted "glasnost" as freedom and democratic reform-- openness to free speech. "Perestroika" was put into place to reform economic life. By 1989, all communist parties in Russia were defeated in politics. Communism eventually fell in parts of Russia. Perestroika's failure to restore the economy caused the USSR to dissolve as people criticized and ripped it apart.

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Eastern Bloc boycotts LA Summer Olympics

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Eastern Bloc boycotts LA Summer Olympics

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The Soviet Union boycotts the US Olympics in response to America's boycott of the Olympics in Moscow. the SU and Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the Summer Olympics in LA. The boycott was motivated by concerns about the security and anti-Soviet sentiment in the Us, and in response to America's previous boycott.

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US troops invade and overthrow regime in Grenada

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US troops invade and overthrow regime in Grenada

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There was a communist force that had overthrown the gov. of Grenada and Cubans were involved. America intervened in order to restore the non-communist government of Grenada. America directly invades. American troops used heavy artillery to guide Grenada into submission. They made airstrikes to weaken the Cubans. A group of Cubans was being held as prisoners. America captured many (around 1,000) Cubans. Soldiers found Russian and Cuban ammunition, which caused Americans to believe they were trying to build a military base.

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Reagan concentrates on the Soviet Military threat towards America. The government will pay lots of money for a comprehensive defense network against nuclear bombs. The US spends trillions of dollars on this network (satellites) that finds nuclear weapons and destroys them before they reach the atmosphere. This is somewhat successful in destroying nuclear weapons but not 100%. The Soviet Union tried to form missiles that go around these satellites, which costs them loads of money, and this causes them to go bankrupt which led to their demise.

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America boycotted the Summer Olympics in Moscow as a protest against the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. The boycott was part of a larger effort by the US and other countries to isolate the SU and pressure them to withdraw from Afghanistan.

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US Hockey defeats USSR at Winter Olympics

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US Hockey defeats USSR at Winter Olympics

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The US hockey team's victory over the Soviet Union was a symbolic victory for America during the Cold War. It was a time where tensions between the US and the SU were high, and the victory was seen as a boost to American morale. The game grasped the name of "Miracle on Ice".

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The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in attempt to spread communism into the region. This conflict lasted for about a decade, and both sides faced many casualties. The US and other countries supported Afghanistan's resistance against the SU.

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Shah of Iran overthrown; Iran Hostage Crisis begins

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Shah of Iran overthrown; Iran Hostage Crisis begins

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The Shah of Iran (king, non-communist, backed by US) is overthrown by Islamic fundamentalists, not communists. Is overthrown by Islamic super-conservatives. Shah flees to the US. A new religious leader in Iran takes power and establishes a new government that opposes the United States. When America let Shah stay for cancer treatments, Islamic radicals took all the Americans in Iran. US president tried to send troops to save the hostages, but weather conditions forced the troops to return to the US. The Iranian government agreed to release their prisoners after the embargo agreement. Around 60 Americans were held hostage for around 440 days.

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China vs. Vietnam War. South V. falls to N. Vietnam and Vietnam is reunified under communist leadership. Communist China and Communist Vietnam fight each other. The Soviet Union and China are competing to be the leaders of Communism. Vietnam had abandoned Beijing and came into a relationship with Moscow. Vietnam interviewed Cambodia and overthrew Khmer Rouge in China and this angered China. The Sino-Vietnam conflict was a draw.

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US and China officially establish diplomatic relations and trade

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US and China officially establish diplomatic relations and trade

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This is not a rivalry. America is trying to separate communist China from communist Russia. Beijing cuts ties with Moscow, and the American president takes a trip to China and opens up relations and trade between US and China. This marks a change in China's economic policy. More American businesses choose to open up their factories in China. China joins the world trade organization, which is a huge opportunity for American business. Pandas from China go to American zoos after this relationship forms.

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Soviet and Cuban forces help to install Communist government in Angola

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Soviet and Cuban forces help to install Communist government in Angola

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The Soviet Union and Cuban forces helped install communist governments in Angola during the Cold War. This represented a major victory for the communist bloc in Africa, and it was seen as a direct challenge to US influence in the region. The conflict in Angola was part of a broader struggle for power and influence in Africa during the Cold War, and it had significant geopolitical implications.

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S. Vietnam falls to Communist N. Vietnam

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S. Vietnam falls to Communist N. Vietnam

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South Vietnam fell to communist North Vietnam due to the long and complex conflict that began during the Cold War. America supported South Vietnam in its fight against the North, but the conflict was unpopular and costly, and many Americans had called for an end to the war. The US eventually signed a peace treaty with North Vietnam, but the fighting continued, and in 1975, the North Vietnamese army launched a major offensive that quickly overran the S. Vietnamese army. The fall of Saigon, S. Vietnam's capital, marked the end of the war and reunification of Vietnam under communist rule.

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Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet aid

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Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet aid

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Egypt and Syria attack Israel to gain control over Israel. Americans were in support of Israel at the time, but the Soviets were not. Egypt and Syria attack Israel on a religious holiday, and Israel faces many casualties. United States sends military aid to Israel with troops and ammunition. Israel ended up pushing Egypt and Syria back so that they would repel. Later on, Egypt and Israel make a peace treaty and Egypt recognizes Israel as a real country.

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US supported coup overthrows Chilean government

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US supported coup overthrows Chilean government

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The US-backed overthrow of the Chilean government was a coup that removed democratically elected President Salvador Allende from power and installed General Augusto Pinochet as the leader of a military dictatorship. The coup was a part of America's attempts to prevent communism from spreading in Latin America. It led to the overthrow of a democratically elected government and establishment of a military dictatorship.

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After Nixon visited China, the Soviet Union leader, Brezhnev, invited Nixon to the Soviet Union. These two leaders signed the SALT I Treaty which limited certain types of nuclear arms production. Never ratified by the US. Then, the Dentente policy began, which eased tensions between America, the SU, and China. SALT II is later signed.

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US President Nixon visited China in an effort to improve relations between China and the US. This was important because the Us had previously refused to recognize the communist government in China, but Nixon's visit paved the way for future diplomatic relations and helped ease tensions during the Cold War.

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A top-secret Department of Defense study on American political and military participation in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967 was known as the "Pentagon Papers." They exposed the errors, fabrications, and unlawful behavior of government officials in relation to the conflict. They confirmed that the government was unreliable for many Americans. The Pentagon Papers revealed that the United States had expanded its war with the bombing of Cambodia and Laos, coastal raids on North Vietnam, and Marine Corps attacks, none of which had been reported by the American media.

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NASA Shuttle Landing Facility, Orlando, FL

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The Apollo mission paved the way for future lunar surface exploration and space exploration. As engineers continued to develop more advanced devices, astronauts were eventually able to investigate asteroids and other planets.The project served as a Cold War ploy by the United States to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's promise that NASA could surpass the pioneering Russian space program and land a man on the moon.

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Czechoslovakians faced freedom of expression and started to reform against communism. Soviet-led forces into Czechoslovakia to reform communism in that area. The Red Army demanded the stop of the revolt through invasions, and help from Warsaw Pact forces. The Czechs put up no resistance and push themselves into communism.

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B-52s Bomb N. Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder

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B-52s Bomb N. Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder

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America built up a military force in Vietnam and launched a big Military deployment into North Vietnam. They attack the homeland of North Vietnam so that they can help South Vietnam maintain its independence. America becomes split (half of the country supports the war but the other half opposes the draft because so many soldiers are dying). America tries to bomb North Vietnam into submission called Operation Rolling Thunder.

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US announcement to dispatch 200,000 US troops to Vietnam

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US announcement to dispatch 200,000 US troops to Vietnam

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US President announces an increase in the US military forces in Vietnam from 75,000 to around 125,000. This was to increase the military manpower needs. Johnson reaffirmed the US its readiness to negotiate a seek to the end of the war, with the help of the UN. Communist leaders attacked Johnson for his choice to send in more troops to Vietnam. The decision to send more troops was regarded as a major turning point, as it effectively guaranteed U.S. military leaders a blank check to pursue the war.

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US Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight Communism

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US Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight Communism

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US President sends more than 22,000 US troops to the Dominican Republic in an effort to forestall their communist dictatorship. Troubles in the DR began when a long-time dictator was assassinated. This dictator has been anticommunist and was in support from the US. However, when he died, there was a rise of reformist governments in the DR. Political chaos gripped the Dominican Republic as various groups struggled for power. The US troops dominated land in the DR and brought an end to the fighting. They also installed a conservative, non-military government.

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Gulf Of Tonkin Farm, Tuần Châu, Thành phố Hạ Long, Quảng Ninh, Vietnam

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North Vietnamese torpedo boats fired on the US ships. Direct involvement in US troops, in combat, was justified after the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. troops directly fought with North Vietnam to contain the spread of communism. The resolution was Congress's written approval that gives the U.S. president powers to deploy forces into Vietnam without Congress's approval. This was repealed in 1970 after the new American president was in office. The War Powers Act was put into place and laid the law for what presidents could and couldn't do with their powers.

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The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty formally banned nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere. This treaty was signed between the United Sates, Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom that banned all tests of nuclear weapons except those conducted underground.

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After the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, Fidel Castro (the communist leader of Cuba) becomes angry and turned to Russia for help against the USA. The Soviet Union looked towards building missiles for an attack against America. Kennedy had the option of conducting airstrikes against the sites where the missiles were being built, but he chose to negotiate with Khrushchev so that the Soviets would remove the missiles in exchange for the United States not invading the island. The U.S. nearly came into a nuclear war but caved into Khrushchev's demands.

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The German Democratic Republic constructed the Berlin Wall to prevent its population fro escaping the Soviet-Controlled East part of Berlin to the West part of Berlin that was controlled by major western allies. East Berlin citizens were forbidden to pass into West Berlin. This divided the city of Berlin into two physically and ideologically contrasting zones.

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Cuba is full of fruit and casinos, but they are pretty poor. America wants to get this territory out of communism. Fidel Castro (communist Cuban revolutionist) is overthrown by American armies giving military and economic aid to Cubans, so that they can overthrow him (which is a fail). Castro is angry and runs to the Soviet Union for help, which leads to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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The U2 spy plane is a brand new air force technology that flies in the stratosphere to spy/take pictures. Gary Powers flies over the Soviet Union and is captured, put on public trial, and convicted of being a spy. A Soviet spy in the USA is traded with an American spy in the USSR. Almost direct military confrontation for the Cold War.

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Fulgencio Batista, the dictator of Cuba, was overthrown as a result of a guerrilla warfare operation that Fidel Castro and his men launched in 1958. Castro established communist domestic policies as the nation's new leader and started trade and military ties with the Soviet Union, which strained ties with the United States. The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was the turning point in the hostility between the United States and Cuba. While Castro maintained dictatorial control over the nation and mercilessly prosecuted or imprisoned anyone deemed to be the regime's adversaries, advancements were made to healthcare and education. Castro was also responsible for fomenting communist revolutions in countries around the world.

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On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit around the Earth. Sputnik 1 was a small, spherical spacecraft that transmitted radio signals back to Earth, demonstrating the Soviet Union's technological capabilities and sparking a space race with the United States. The launch of Sputnik 1 marked a major milestone in the history of space exploration and had significant political and cultural implications, fueling Cold War tensions and inspiring a new era of scientific and technological development.

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On August 21, 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the R-7 Semyorka. This was a significant milestone in the Cold War arms race, as it gave the Soviet Union the ability to deliver nuclear warheads to targets in the United States and other distant locations. The successful launch of the R-7 marked a major advancement in missile technology and solidified the Soviet Union's position as a major military power.

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Nikita S. Khrushchev gave the Red Army the order to put down the Hungarian Uprising between November 4 and November 8, 1956. A massive invasion by Soviet forces led to the overthrow of the sovereign national government. Thousands of Hungarians fled to the West as soon as Hungary was subjected to ruthless repression.

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The Warsaw Pact was established by the Soviet Union as a counterweight to NATO, a collective security agreement signed in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and Western European countries. Existing agreements between the Soviet Union and many Eastern European nations were supplemented by the Warsaw Pact.

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CIA helps overthrow unfriendly governments in Iran and Guatemala

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CIA helps overthrow unfriendly governments in Iran and Guatemala

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The CIA, along with the British, helped orchestrate a coup in Iran that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister (Mohammad Mossadegh). The coup was motivated by the Minister's nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, which threatened the interests of Western oil companies. The CIA worked with Iranian monarchists to carry out the coup, which resulted in the restoration of the Shah of Iran to power. The CIA was also involved in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Guatemala, led by President Jacobo Arbenz. The coup was motivated by concerns over Arbenz's land reform policies, which threatened d the interests of the United Fruit Company (USA Corporation). The CIA worked with Guatemalan exiles to carry out the coup, which led to the installation of a military government that was friendly to U.S. interests.

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Ulitsa Bol'shaya Lubyanka, 2, Moscow, Russia

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The KGB was the main security agency of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. During the Cold War, the KGB engaged in espionage activities against the United States and its allies, seeking to gather information on military capabilities, political intentions, and technological developments. The KGB's actions contributed to the tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western powers, as it was often viewed as a symbol of Soviet aggression and repression. The agency's actions helped to shape the course of the Cold War and contributed to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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The United States conducted a hydrogen bomb test on Bikini Atoll as part of the Castle Bravo nuclear tests. The Castle Bravo test was the first test of a deliverable thermonuclear weapon, and it produced a yield of 15 megatons, which was much larger than expected. The test had significant environmental and health consequences for the people living in the surrounding areas. The test also led to international outcry and increased pressure for nuclear disarmament.

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After WWII, the 38th parallel line split the Korean peninsula into North (communist) and South Korea (Japanese who surrendered to US forces), and in 1950, these two governments fight a war. Disease, malnutrition, and frostbite were struggles during the war. Part of the containment policy sends US troops into Korea to fight and keep communism from spreading. These two countries are still split with the 38th parallel and the North is still communist, the South is still non-communist.

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McCarthyism and the Red Scare takes hold in the US

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McCarthyism and the Red Scare takes hold in the US

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A hunt down of supposed communist peoples in the US. Paranoia of communist ideologies in America. There are real communist spies in the US. The period in American history known as "McCarthyism" was marked by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin conducting a number of investigations and hearings in the 1950s to uncover alleged communist espionage in various branches of the federal government. Since then, the phrase has come to be used as a shorthand for character or reputation defamation based on publicly publicized, indiscriminate accusations, especially those that lack any supporting evidence.

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Mao Zedong wins Chinese Civil War and creates the People's Republic of China

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Mao Zedong wins Chinese Civil War and creates the People's Republic of China

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The communists (Soviet Union) win the Chinese Civil War, and the non-communist government flees to the Republic of China (Taiwan). Communist China (the mainland) is now named the People's Republic of China. Mao Zedong creates communist China, and America struggles to contain the spread of communism due to China's high population and fights from the USSR. The United States panics and feels like they are losing the Cold War.

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Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, Kazakhstan

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The USSR tries out its first atomic bomb known as "First Lighting", and was tested on its destruction of constructed buildings, bridges, structures, and human-like mammals. On Sept 3, a U.S. spy plane picked up the first evidence of radioactivity from the explosion. Later that month, President Harry S. Truman announced to the American people that the Soviets too had the bomb (Fuchs had given the Russians a blueprint of the American atomic bomb). This caused America to develop the hydrogen bomb

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The North Atlantic Treaty, which created NATO, was signed by the United States, Canada, and ten other European countries (against the Soviet Union) in 1949, following the end of World War II. It was a defensive military alliance that pledged to offer mutual aid in the event that one country came under attack. West Germany joined in 1955, Greece and Turkey in 1952, and Spain in 1982. Following the end of the Cold War, NATO grew to become an alliance of 29 states in eastern Europe.

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The Berlin Blockade was a global crisis that resulted from the Soviet Union's attempt, in 1948–1949, to compel the Western Allies—the United States, the United Kingdom, and France—to give up control of their post–World War II territories in West Berlin. In March 1948, the Allied powers decided to unite their different occupation zones of Germany into a single economic unit. In protest, the Soviet representative withdrew from the Allied Control Council. On June 24, the Soviets announced that the four-power administration of Berlin had ceased and that the Allies no longer had any rights there. On June 26, the United States and Britain began to supply the city with food and other air supplies by air. By mid-July, the Soviet army of occupation in East Germany had increased to 40 divisions, against 8 in the Allied sectors. By the end of July, three groups of U.S. strategic bombers had been sent as reinforcements to Britain.

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Marshall Plan is announced to rebuild Europe

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Marshall Plan is announced to rebuild Europe

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Part of containment policy. Trying to contain the spread of communism by giving 13 billion dollars to rebuild Europe. Communism sounds really good when a country is poor and in need of help, and Europe is in need of help at the end of WWII. This is a policy to PREVENT the spread of communism to England, France, West Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. These countries gain money from the United States, but they have to only buy American products. American export economy boomed. Marshall Plan was an attempt to jumpstart Europe and build the economy.

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Truman Doctrine first Applied in Greek Civil War

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Truman Doctrine first Applied in Greek Civil War

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Part of containment ideology. The belief is that communism is spreading around the world, and that the Western powers (US, Britain, etc.) need to contain communism and not let it spread anymore. President Truman kept communism from spreading to Greece and Turkey by giving them military and economic aid (mostly gave them artillery)--this is successful and communism does not spread into G&T. These countries both joined NATO after the Truman Doctrine.

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Winston Churchill, a former British prime minister, gave a speech titled "The Iron Curtain Speech". In it, he emphasized the need for the United States and Britain to serve as the protectors of peace and stability against the Soviet communism threat, which had lowered a "iron curtain" across Europe. The phrase "iron curtain" had been used by Churchill to specifically refer to the political, military, and ideological wall built by the USSR after World War II to restrict open communication between itself and its dependent allies in eastern and central Europe, the West, and other noncommunist regions.

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America placed two atomic bombs in the cities Hiroshima & Nagasaki in Japan. These bombs destroyed the cities and lives of Japanese civilians, and they contributed to the end of World War II. This was the first use of atomic bombs against humans.

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Three World War II allies met in the Yalta Conference: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and American President Franklin D. Roosevelt to make decisions regarding the future progress of the war and the postwar world. At Yalta, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin discussed the conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan and agreed to grant the Soviets a sphere of influence in Manchuria. They also discussed the future of Germany, Eastern Europe, and the United Nations. Initial reaction to the Yalta agreements was celebratory, but with the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman became president and clashed with the Soviets over their influence in Eastern Europe and the United Nations. This led to many Americans criticizing Roosevelt's handling of the negotiations.