Map by Yanning Chen

Greece Civil War (1943-1952)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:25:05 UTC

In 1943, a group of Greek communists tried to overthrow the Greek government which started a civil war. The communists were given aid from the Soviet Union and in response to this the Truman Doctrine was issued. In the Truman Doctrine, President Harry Truman pledged that he would contain the spread of communism by sending aid to the Greek government. By 1948 the Greek government defeated the communists, mostly due to the help of the US, and joined NATO in 1952.

Washington, D.C. (Marshall Plan) (1947)

justinz82 — 2024-05-01 14:27:36 UTC

After WWII ended many European countries were devastated and the US thought that if they didn't help them, then the countries would turn to the Soviet Union for help and that was the last thing the US wanted. The US ended up providing $17 billion of aid to these countries in what was called the Marshall Plan where countries Great Britain, France, West Germany and Italy received funds. Western industries were booming after four years of receiving US money and helped increase record levels of trade for the US and kept Stalin from embracing communism to others.

Berlin, Germany (Berlin Airlift 1945-1949)

yanningc — 2024-05-01 14:28:52 UTC

As World War II came to an end, the allies met at the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference to determine the fate of defeated Germany. The Eastern part of Germany was placed under control of the Soviet Union while the Western part was placed under United States control, GB, and France. Soon after the division, Stalin wanted to kick out all western forces out of Berlin and In the Berlin Blockade, Stalin blocked off all access to West Berlin meaning citizens of West Berlin could not get basic resources as Stalin's plan was to starve them into communist submission. President Truman started the Berlin Airlift as a way to help the Western Berliners who needed resources after they were blocked off from the rest of the world.

Belgium (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:34:27 UTC

Britain, United Kingdom (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:37:36 UTC

Canada (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:37:54 UTC

Denmark (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:38:11 UTC

France (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:39:30 UTC

Iceland (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:39:44 UTC

Italy (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:40:54 UTC

Luxembourg (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:41:12 UTC

Netherlands (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:41:26 UTC

Norway (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:41:43 UTC

Portugal (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:42:20 UTC

Portugal Joins NATO

United States (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:42:31 UTC

Washington D.C., DC, USA (FORMATION OF NATO APRIL OF 1949)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:42:48 UTC

In April of 1949, 12 countries Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Norway, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and the United States formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and was agreed on that if a military attack happened on one of its members then it would be considered an attack against all members. NATO's purpose was to promote Democratic values, to help member nations on defense and security issues, and prevent conflict.

Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, USA (Red Scare > McCarthyism)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:48:46 UTC

The Red Scare description is in D.C. with its comment

Washington D.C., DC, USA (Red Scare > McCarthyism)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:49:29 UTC

The coming of the Second Red Scare began when the Soviet Union took over a successful Communist revolution and that American people feared that the Communist Party of America might be spies. Alger Hiss, Julius Rosenburg and his wife Ethel were all accused of sending secret information to the Soviet Union and Hiss was sentenced to 5 years while Rosenburg and Ethel were convicted and executed. The creation of the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) was to investigate Communist activity and after hearings in the acting industry they would black list any actors who were suspected Communist spies pretty much disabling them to find another role in Hollywood. Senator Joseph McCarthy made a name for himself by ruining careers and calling people out by saying they were connected to Communist ties however, he was finally charged and faded from public view and Americans were shocked with his accusations.

Berlin, Germany (Berlin Wall Formation, 1961-1989)

justinc811 — 2024-05-01 14:54:13 UTC

The Iron Curtain made famous by Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of the UK) refers to the boundary which divided Europe into two separate areas on one side pro-democracy, pro-capitalistic countries and on the other pro-totalitarian, pro-socialist nations. Following WWII, the German city of Berlin was split into West Berlin under control of the US, UK, and France while East Berlin was under control of the USSR as many escaped from East Berlin to go to West Berlin which included doctors, teachers and engineers. Stalin was embarrassed by the fact so many people were leaving his control and decided to build a wall of barbed wire in 1961 to keep Western "fascists" out of East Berlin but became a obstacle for those who wanted to flee from East Berlin.

South Korea (Korean War 1950-1953)

justinc811 — 2024-05-02 13:47:54 UTC

After Korea was liberated from Japanese control at the end of the Second World War, the United States and the USSR agreed to divide Korea in half North Korea (USSR) and South Korea (USA). Five years into separation communist leader, Kim II Sung, attempted to reunify Korea and in June 1950 he launched a surprise invasion Truman understood North Korea was getting help from the USSR. Within a couple of days, the United Nations Security Council declared support for Korea which was an example of a proxy war which is an armed conflict in which a powerful country instigates or plays a role in a weaker country's conflict in actual combat. Both sides exhausted resources and attacks and finally ceased fire near the 38th parallel and today the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a strike zone where North Korea is still communist. At the same time, South Korea is Capitalistic and Democratic.

Warsaw, Poland (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)(Main Pin)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:49:52 UTC

The Warsaw Pact was signed in May of 1955 and was an alliance of communist countries including Russia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia. It was similar to NATO where the objective was to guarantee defense among its members to prevent a attack. Allowed for tighter control of communist states and prevent individual independence.

Kazakhstan (Sputnik Launched 1957)

justinc811 — 2024-05-02 13:50:43 UTC

Sputnik became the first artificial Earth satellite as the Cold wasn't just a fight for land but also in space. The Soviet Union launched it into orbit in 1957 as part of the Soviet space program and sent chills down Americans as the USSR were technologically superior. This resulted into a decade long Space Race in which both the US and USSR competed to achieve spaceflight potentiality which was seen as a "national security." The US immediately set out to develop a better satellite and set a more power-hungry goal on landing on the moon.

Cuba (Bay of Pigs) (1959-1962)

justinz82 — 2024-05-02 13:51:48 UTC

In 1959, Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba after a revolt. The US distrusted Castro, so they briefed President John F. Kennedy to train a group of Cubans to invade Cuba in order to overthrow Castro. Despite the US government's efforts to keep their plans a secret, the Cuban government found out and made plans to stop the invasion. When the American forces got to the Bay of Pigs, the Cubans were ready for them and destroyed the American forces. This invasion ended up making Cuba look more powerful instead having Castro overthrown.

Russia (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:52:28 UTC

Havana, Cuba (Cuban Missile Crisis 1960-1962)

justinc811 — 2024-05-02 13:53:14 UTC

In October 1962, a major confrontation almost lead to a close war between between the USSR and the USA. Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union agreed to place missiles in Cuba in May 1960 and American spy planes flying over Cuba saw the missiles and reported it to the United States and John F. Kennedy and if the launch had happened the missiles were powerful enough to hit much of the Eastern United States. Kennedy decided the best plan was to place a naval blockade to seize the offensive weapons which made tensions rise in Cuba where people were scared of WWIII. As the two superpowers were on the brink of war messages between the Kennedy and Khrushchev calm down the tensions with Khrushchev informing they will halt the missiles and that the missiles in Cuba were already removed and Kennedy saying that they will never invade Cuba ever again and also promised to withdraw stationed nuclear-armed missiles in Turkey. Fidel Castro, was infuriated by the Soviets' retreat but could not do anything but this was the climax of the US-Soviet Union relations.

East Germany (Warsaw Pact)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:53:22 UTC

Vietnam (Vietnam War) (1954-1974)

justinz82 — 2024-05-02 13:54:14 UTC

In 1954, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh successfully freed Vietnam from French colonial rule and Vietnam was split into North Vietnam governed by Communist Ho Chi Minh and the Southern half being non-communist. However, Ho Chi Minh wanted to unite the two halves under communist rule and in December 1960, a civil war erupted for control of South Vietnam where the US applied the policy of containment where they sent over two million troops and spent tens of millions of dollars to fight the North Vietnamese. US officials believed that if South Vietnam fell under communism then those countries around them would succumb to communism also. After a long war, South Vietnam fell to communism and when American troops finally left the country it damaged America's global reputation.

Cape Canaveral, FL, USA (Apollo 11 Launched, 1969)

justinc811 — 2024-05-02 13:54:50 UTC

After the successful launch of Sputnik in 1957, the American government were committed into winning the Space Race and that defeating the Soviet Union in space was necessary for Cold War dominance and national security. President Kennedy famously said: "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight that landed on the Moon and was commanded by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

China (President Nixon Visits Communist China, 1972)

justinc811 — 2024-05-02 13:55:50 UTC

The Communist Party of China gained power over mainland China in 1949, leading to decades of tension between the US and China however, by the 1970s, the American government began to ease out the Cold War hostility between the US and the USSR. In the 1972, President Nixon took the first step into cooling the Cold War tensions by traveling to Beijing for a week of talks with PRC leadership, including a meeting with Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong. A significant shift because it felt like the relationship between the Soviet Union and China was dwindling.

Berlin, Germany (The Fall of the Berlin Wall) (1989-1990)

justinz82 — 2024-05-02 13:56:27 UTC

In November of 1989, East Berlin's Communist Party announced that the Citizens of East Germany (German Democratic Republic) were free to cross the border and travel throughout the city. West Berlin and East Berlin finally met with more than 2 million people from East Berlin visiting West Berlin. The Reunification of East and West Germany was made official on October 3, 1990 after one year of the fall of the Berlin war.

Hungary (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:56:31 UTC

Poland (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:56:52 UTC

Romania (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:57:28 UTC

Albania (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 13:59:36 UTC

Bulgaria (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 14:00:06 UTC

Czechoslovakia (Warsaw Pact, May 1955)

yanningc — 2024-05-02 14:01:11 UTC