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March 5, 1953 shortly after Stalin's death, a loyal member of the Communist party named Nikita Khrushchev became the dominant Soviet Leader

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Khrushchev speech signaled the beginning of a policy called de-stalinization, or purging the country of Stalin's memory

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August 20, 1968, The Soviet Union led Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion of Czechoslovakia to crack down on reformist trends in Prague

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Détente, a policy of lessened Cold War tensions, finally replaced brinkmanship during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon.

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President Nixon's move toward détente grew out of a philosophy known as realpolitik. After a series of meetings called the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), Nixon and Brezhnev signed the SALT I Treaty.

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Gorbachev launched glasnost as the second vital plank of his reform efforts. Glasnost was taken to mean increased openness and transparency in government institutions and activities in the Soviet Union.

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November 9, 1989 political reforms inside the Soviet bloc, escalating pressure from the people of Eastern Europe and ultimately, confusion over an East German directive to open the border.